Velveteen Queen – The Greater Good
Velveteen Queen – The Greater Good
Silver Lining Music
Release Date:18/09/2026
Review by Beth Morait
9.5/10
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Sweden knows how to ROCK! I can hand on heart say I’ve yet to hear a duff album from any Rock band coming out of Sweden, and today’s subject, the new album from Velveteen Queen, is no exception.
“The Greater Good” had me hooked from the first notes – a peppy little riff, with the tone and style of Brian May in the “Sheer Heart Attack” Queen era that opens ‘Too Far Gone’. This classic Rock, verging on glam, is a perfect opener to the band’s sophomore full-length. That had me locked in right away, as I am a Queen superfan.
But, vocally, Velveteen Queen have a grittier sound, more like Guns ‘n’ Roses when Axl could still sing and was slightly less of a dick! It’s slightly Sleazy, very Glam, and very early 80s, and all of that fills me with joy. It’s pure, feel-good, driving-with-the-top-down music. ‘Talk or Walk’ should be a staple on any good travelling playlist. It’s got a lush little guitar solo too, with bags of overdrive and wah.
Classic 80s Rock is coursing through Velveteen Queen’s veins for sure. ‘Adrenaline’ could quite literally have been an Aerosmith that would have sat well next to ‘Walk This Way’ in their stage shows in the glory days. Bags of cowbell, because what good Rock banger is complete without it, eh?!
Now, what good Rock album would be complete without a ballad? ‘Chains’ brings that. A stripped-back, slowed-down track with acoustic guitar, blues style, and vocals, with some gentle percussion sitting back in the mix, and hushed, droning harmonies in the chorus. Vocally, we see a more tender side here, while still retaining the Rock grit. A beautifully melancholy song.
After that mid-session interlude, the album ramps up again, going with pacey bangers towards the finish line, but slipping in another ballad, ‘Sorry’ as the penultimate track. This one reminds me more of early 90s Bon Jovi (again, nothing wrong with that; JBJ is one of my heroes).
‘Try’ closes the album, and it’s another trope-filled Rock banger. It’s a track of two halves that slows down from the mid-section and is full of anger vocally; it kind of takes a more adventurous path than what has come before, like any closing overture should – leaving you hanging for the next release.
This is an album that those looking for new explorations of the genre would toss away within a few bars. But if, like me, you love a bit of glory-days nostalgia, this is the album you need to hear right now. If you own any 80s release from Aerosmith, G ‘n’ R, Bon Jovi, and the like, then this should be your next purchase.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Too Far Gone
02. The Greater Good
03. Talk or Walk
04. Adrenaline
05. Can’t Go Back In Time
06. Chains
07. It Ain’t Over
08. Liar
09. Best of the Best
10. Sorry
11. Try (To Believe Me)
LINKS:
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