After having only been together for 2 years, forming from the demise of several other Finnish bands, Vanity Ink have really joined forces with the determination to succeed. On my first listen to this band I immediately thought 'a female version of HIM'. However after scratching the surface I found Vanity Kills do not possess as much Goth Glam as their fellow Scandinavians, but tend to lean toward the grunge/heavy rock end of the musical spectrum, with hints of punk splattering this impressive 5 track line up on latest EP, 'Roadkills'.

An interesting mix to be sure. Sonic Youth and Hole spring to mind when describing the vocals of this band along with instrumental support similar to Nighwish or HIM. Their melodic tunes coupled with dynamic guitar patterns add to the energetic set up of this band. The female vocals of newest member Stiina, who joined in 2003 along with rhythm guitarist 'Make', give the band not only an overall grunge like tone with aggressive vocals, but also a sensitive element to their mostly heavy, angry sound. Epic ballads such as 'Deep frozen' capture the melodic sensitive side of Vanity Ink, whilst tracks such as 'Sweetest Addiction' aim to show off the more punk side to their musical ability.

If you're after a fix of hard rocking melodic tunes with outstanding guitar solos then Vanity Kills are definitely worth a try.

by Lauren May

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