Victory in Rio – 'Bronco': A truly Rock record

The one that pulled us out of the norms and conquered the world. It has given – and still gives – the spark for even the most oppressed to rise up. But can we actually define true, authentic rock? The Victory in Rio will help us clear things up quite a bit with their first record titled 'Bronco’.

Giddy up, little horse!

Starting from the album's title, our interest already starts to build. Bronco isn't a horse breed, but a type. It has more to do with characteristics and behaviour. The term refers to tough horses that have the ability to buck abruptly. That last trait makes them exceptionally important in rodeo! These horses may be tough, but they're not wild. The name may sound like it's about little horses, but the record was actually named after the Bronco bar in Kifisia. The place was the reason the band formed in the first place.

Why Victory in Rio?!

Before we even start listening to the record, we've got another interesting story, this time about the band's name. In a very interesting chat we had (you know… the kind that involves beer!), Victory's singer and guitarist, Κωστής Πυρένης, brought up the band's name. The answer is simple: it's Herby, the well-known 'little bug'!

The old VW Beetle numbered 53, in its second film, went to Rio to compete in a rally. The film came out in 1980 under the name "Herby Goes Bananas". At one point they lost Herby! But when they found him, there's a scene with a little kid who's overjoyed and shouts "Victory in Rio!!!". That's how Kostis, wanting to pay tribute to that scene, named the band.

A horse and a film about a 'little bug'

And now you're surely wondering…How does all this connect, Tzimako?! What does rock have to do with horses and a movie?!’.

Stay focused! If the stories above about the names have piqued your interest, the band's music will multiply that feeling. To start with, Victory in Rio are a band that operates in a Rock / Alternative Rock style. With their main influences being Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters and Nirvana, you can definitely tell that something powerful is being born here!

Beyond that, Kostis gives us even more details here. Peppers, Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Guns 'n' Roses, Bon Jovi, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix. Some of his influences. Slash and Richie Sambora were the motivation that made him pick up a guitar.

On the music

So Victory have taken this wonderful palette of musical colours and defined simple, authentic rock. We're talking about a wonderful mix of British and American Rock. In reality, they've taken the best elements from both genres. From Brit Rock we get overdriven guitar parts, elaborate bass lines and straight rhythms, with bursts in certain spots that build tension or add different timestamps. From American Rock we get that badass flavour that southern rock usually leaves us with. Pauses, epic solos (in some tracks) and rhythms that break things up. And since I mentioned southern rock, I'd like to stress that 'Bronco' is not a stoner record.

If I absolutely had to decide which side of the Atlantic the music of Victory in Rioleans towards, I'd say it's pretty much in the middle, with a slight tilt towards the UK side. Something like Brit Rock on steroids! The Brits might say some tracks even edge into Punk territory. On the other hand, if you like to picture things with the Statue of Liberty in the background, it resembles American Southern Rock at its most rhythmic and dynamic. We're not talking about cranking it to 11 and flooring it the whole way. The Americans might even call it College / Highschool Rock (like Blink 182, for example). But the truth is it's quite far from that. It's a lot more elaborate and complex than what you'd call College / Highschool Rock.

On the other hand, don't go thinking the album is all 'wild' tracks. The Victory in Rio show us the huge range of their abilities, moving from 'heavy' rockers to soft ballads, all the way to Punk songs (that's roughly where 'URL’).

Looking the horse in the eyes!

But let's break these elements down a bit more. As usual, I'll start with the Rhythm Section. Here we have 2/3 of the band, with Nikos Adamopoulos on drums and Lefteris Papadakis on bass. The two of them hold down a solid foundation on the tracks. Nikos, for his part, mostly uses straight timestamps (which fits the style of Victory's music). But he doesn't stop there! There are tracks where the dynamics rise and fall, giving the songs a distinct texture (a prime example being 'Lay Me Down’).

On the other side, Lefteris has the tough job of 'filling out' the sound. And truth be told, he pulls it off brilliantly. Listen carefully and you'll notice that beyond the bass's rhythmic lines, there are also riffs that lift the songs up (here one of many such tracks is 'Blue’).

This Power Trio is rounded out by Kostis Pyrenis on guitar and vocals. From the guitar side, you'll hear plenty of melodic moments throughout the tracks. Whether you're listening to tracks like 'Hello Hello' (songs with plenty of 'gas pedal'), or tracks like 'Saturday Nights' ('soft' power ballads), you'll surely pick out plenty of melodies. Kostis sometimes takes on the rhythm role, sometimes the lead role. The tracks never feel like they're running out of steam. His tone, as I mentioned above, is a warm overdriven sound. Every now and then, though, there are spots that are completely clean (like the sound of an acoustic guitar, for instance).

On the vocal side, I'd say we've got 'clean' vocal lines here. Kostis's timbre is fairly earthy. There's still plenty of grit in his voice, both in the high and low registers. That vocal quality certainly gives the distorted tracks another dimension, but I'd say it also elevates the ballads. Victory's 'calm' tracks are far from perfectly still! On the contrary, their voice gives them a darker texture.

Editor's Choice: Kessler Syndrome

And we've arrived at my personal favourite track from the album, which is none other than 'Kessler Syndrome'. The song, with a title lifted straight from the theoretical, astrological phenomenon, closes out the album ‘Bronco’. In my opinion it's the highlight of this particular album. A track that kicks off with plenty of atmospheric melodies. One of them being the slide guitar riff. A superb southern and at the same time psychedelic rock element. Up to this point, the track seems like it could've been written by Pink Floyd.

And while at first everything suggests we're in for an outstanding dynamic ballad, the ending comes and changes everything! After the pause, the track 'kicks in' with a completely different rhythm. It 'puts on' a punk mask and closes with a killer attitude.

In conclusion

The Victory in Rio are a genuine, pure rock band. The 'Bronco' is a truly rock record. And that's because the band doesn't dabble in musical offshoots (like stoner, progressive etc.), but has chosen a much cleaner and more distinctive rock sound. The compositions of the Holy Trinity of Rio are excellent. They're by no means simple, as they feature quite a few melodic layers.

Victory are a very experienced band live too. Having caught some of their gigs back in the day (before the record), I know their sound is very close to what's on the record. I'd definitely like to keep an eye on their evolution, as well as how they'll pull off the tracks from 'Bronco' in a live show. I'm eagerly looking forward to the band's next efforts.

The record's distribution and production was handled by Ikaros Records.