The Violent Hour – The Violent Hour (EP)
Review By: George Andritsakis
Review Score: 7
Genre: Hard Rock, Metal
Label: Megaforce Records
Release Date: July 25, 2025
Carla Harvey. Carla FUCKIN’ Harvey! Fresh from separating from the Butcher Babies and her first tour with the Lords of Acid, she regales the hungry metal mobs with a 5 track LP that is nothing less than blistering, face melting, 100 proof HARD Rock n’ Roll. The only way I can truly describe this EP is if Avril Lavigne got harder and delved into metal, got her heart broken, got trashed, lost, and strung-out, and came back with a vengeance. I don’t know if there was any bad blood between Carla and the rest of the Butcher Babies, but there is plenty of attitude, piss, and vinegar flowing out on every single track here, but put together in a way that you can’t stop playing it or headbanging to it.
The first track is “Sick Ones” is a 4:45 banger of immense proportions, dealing with narcissistic personalities. It’s got great timing, and Charlie Benante’s drumming drives the tune the whole way through to the end, while Carla puts the pedal to the metal with her vicious attitude and songwriting in full view. Another insanely bright spot here is the appearance of John 5 laying down a masterpiece of a solo. He hasn’t lost a single ounce of the guitar virtuoso he is. Throw all these components in and you have yourself a very decent first single worthy of Carla’s name.
Next up is “Hell or Hollywood”. This is by far my favorite song on the EP, and I swear, every time I fly into LAX, I’m going to be blasting this tune, kind like I do with Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home” every time I fly into Athens, Greece. Hell or Hollywood is Carla’s toast and throwing the horns to the legends of the Sunset Strip from Janis to Lemmy to Kurt. Take a listen to Charlie Banante’s slide-guitar work on this, it’s amazing. The man clearly knows how to play his instruments, and then you get the cherry on top with a blistering solo by none other than the Viking himself, Zakk Wylde. This is an anthem to the legacy of the Sunset Strip, there’s no doubt about it.
The video has a BUNCH of awesome snippets of the Strip, most of which is my scene as well (at least, since my first time there in 2017). From the Roxy, the iconic Viper Room (where I once saw Cinderella before they disbanded), but most of the video was filmed in the holy grail hangout of the Rainbow Bar n Grill, just steps up the Strip from the Whisky A Go-Go. Carla steps inside and it turns into a party the further in she goes, from Lemmy and Janis Joplin lookalikes, to several of my own acquaintances making an appearance, such as that insanely amazing and talented string bender Natalie Nova, to Lindsey Ferrari and I think even Heather Leather as well. Good stuff, I’d say get the EP just for this tune alone.
“Portland Oregon” has a very trippy, psychedelic sound to it, as would anything that would broach the topic of Portland in general. You get back and forth vocalizing from Carla and Crobots frontman Brandon Yeagley (not to mention harmonica as well), making this tune very easy on the ears, like something that would belong on a coming of age movie’s soundtrack (think Detroit Rock City or even Rock Star).
“Sex and Cigarettes” is another gem, one that had to have been such a blast for Carla and Charlie to write. It’s a definite head bopper and you can’t help but get the chorus stuck in your head. It’s a catchy earworm that’ll have you getting awkward looks from everyone if you sing this out loud in public.
Last but not least…we come to “The Violent Hour”, with some of the most amazing acoustic guitar work I’ve ever heard, all done by Charlie Benante. Carla’s vocals are at their absolute best on this tune, with such raw power and feeling, you can’t help but listen. I hope like hell this is in the live set.
One the score for the review I gave it a 7, not because of anything wrong with the recording themselves, or the tunes, but that there is NOT ENOUGH! I’m fairly sure I share the same sentiments with fans everywhere that this should’ve been a full-on album, but I can understand the strategy they have going like this, too. I have no doubt Carla and Charlie will make this headlining act in no time, and I’ll be following for more releases, as I’m a fan of both of them.
Playlist:
1. Sick Ones
2. Hell Or Hollywood
3. Portland Oregon
4. Sex and Cigarettes
5. The Violent Hour
Lineup:
Carla Harvey – Vocals
Charlie Benante – Guitars, Drums, and Bass
John 5 – Guitar
Zakk Wylde – Guitar
Brandon Yeagley – Vocals on Portland Oregon