Vice - Veni Vide Vice

Vice were originally formed in Munich, Germany in the late Eighties and were signed by major label BMG Ariola back in 1988. This resulted in two successful albums, selling in excess of 100,000 copies, and they toured all over Europe. Now, nearly thirty years later the band is back, or possibly it would be more accurate to say that guitarist Chris “Yps” Limburg has put together a new band using that name. Still, it allows them to tour and play songs from the original albums as well as some from the new one. The album is a real mix, as although they are all AOR with some metal influences here and there, while some songs aren’t wonderful, there are others that are obviously destined for radio. It is the first release by Vice for nearly thirty years, and it has gained them some quite serious attention in their home country, so it will be interesting to see if the band manage to follow this up with something more substantial. As it is, this feels too dated and restricted in terms of the songs, but Mario “Mitch” Michel has a fine voice, and I hope that this is the beginning of a second career for these guys.