Firstly, CD baby is awesome. Cds ALWAYS arrive at lightening speed. Valerian is incredible. Finnish music RAWKS!!!

Valerian's INTIMATIONS OF SORROW is quite excellent, very potent stuff indeed. Think of a good 80s hard rock band, with big pop/alternative hooks (Think ROXXETE meets the BANGLES... But a tad more sorrowful), in the choruses. The best of both worlds really. Think of a mellower, acoustic FAITH NO MORE, a “lies” kinda era GNR, a lil THE CULT, a little emo, throw in hints of ALICE IN CHAINS and a bit of CHRIS CORNELL perhaps. Also pour in a lil bit of RHCP funky skagness and a bit of MOTLEY and BRYAN ADAMS ?! Sounds like it couldn’t work…. Doesn’t it !? Well it does work! VALERIAN pulls it off remarkably. Fusing all those different influences, they still sound original. They have 3 songs that could be huge hits.. .. The “hits” are namely, “Liar”, an anthem to the powers that may-be, for not caring enough for what’s going on, in this world. “Never bring me down” with it’s cool syncopated rhythm and super catchy chorus and the soul stirring, stupendously long titled, elegy of “Nothing will ever take me away from you”. (From the archives of a serial killer). The band is tight; their singer is oozing with charisma, managing to sound like Chris Cornell one minute, David Bowie subsequently and himself, the next.... The tunes are instantly gripping and still grow even more with a couple of spins. Get them on TV and they could be huge. I can see them going stratospheric, if they keep producing songs of this caliber....

The single would have to be "Liar", a soaring beast of a song, with an immense melody designed for the megadromes of America. There’s even some classic ‘woohooing’ going on for good measure. The best of the power ballads is "Mine Forever", another song that would have been Top 10 with a bullet back in the day. There aren’t enough bands doing the pop glam metal thing these days, and Valerian could soak up that particular demand, if enough people hear it. If they can cut it live, they could rule their own world.

Allan Bloom once said, "Rock music is junk food for the soul." If this were the case, Valerian's Imitations of Sorrow would be an extra large bag of sugary Pixie Stix with a jumbo 7-11 squishie on the side...Valerian is composed of five gifted artists from Scandinavia. Sporting denim blazers and leather jackets, they encompass a unique fashion style similar to Mötley Crüe and Scandivanian punk rock quartet Sahara Hotnights. Combining a lively, rambunctious, easy-to-listen rock beat clashed with musical qualities of '80s rock and roll, Imitations of Sorrow can be truly described as one of City Canyon's finest records, with 10 brand-new tracks, each song is filled with amazing electric guitar rifts and free-spirited lyrics.... Fit for any rock music junkie, Imitations of Sorrow surely sets Valerian's foot in the door of American rock music.