Viarosa

“Where The Killers Run fulfils the promise… these songs tap into American outlaw traditions of death and sorrow. A country-wired Echo & The Bunnymen."

“Outstanding… sounds like The Birthday Party doing Johnny Cash." - UNCUT Magazine

“A swooning blend of violins, mandolins, country death songs and Nick Cave vocals… This is the sound of revenge. Served icy cold.” - The Independent (UK)

“This music is haunting; every note almost drips with the thoughts of a dying man tied to music. A man musing over all the sadness and beauty he ever encountered in his life from beginning to end is reflected in its hesitant initial notes until its quiet fade out, from birth to death. It is simply stunning. Where the Killers Run creeps up on you like a skulking ghoul in the night, and then grips hard and will not let go… for fans of any honest, real music from American Music Club to Neil Young. It is not just a diamond in the rough, it’s a fucking diamond mine.” - Alternative Nation

“Dark and wonderful, Viarosa fuse Nick Cave-esque vocals, haunting violins and that special brand of lyricism that grabs you by the hairs on the back of your neck… this is a fabulous album and Viarosa really are doing something quite special.” - Irish World

“Mightily impressive Country Noir… an ability to add class touches and deft strokes to bring their material above the benchmark of the rest of the genre." - Americana UK

Each play sends me into a mute, unsettling ecstasy and my insides surge with the need to hear this astounding and moving album as often as I can… Rich and inspiring songs, inventively and satisfyingly arranged. My album of the year? Very likely. Where The Killers Run has coiled itself into my bloodstream, my via rosa, as nothing has for a while. - Comes With A Smile

Usually we'll give any band that can properly employ a banjo the benefit of the doubt here at Decoy, but Viarosa does so much more in crafting their haunting brand of noir country than just toss a banjo into their indie rock mix. The melodic arrangements of strings and percussion along with the arresting vocals takes listeners on short (but ambitious) journeys, a la Nick Cave or Johnny Cash, across the landscapes of long ago.

In a similar fashion to the defunct Clann Zu and the aforementioned Nick Cave, Viarosa take an earthly, organic sound and make it heavenly. Hopefully we have only seen the tip the iceberg in relation to what this band can surface up from their melodic depths. This debut is a remarkably lush and gripping listen from start to finish.
- Decoy Music (US)

Viarosa captures a profound sense of melancholy with its debut album. I hear an even darker, mellower Arcade Fire, not only with their instrumentation and lyrical intrigue, but also with Richard Neuberg’s rich, heavy yet buoyant tone and the female harmony gently resting above. This selfless band of musicians offers untold histories of sailors and the impoverished, drenching these forgotten souls in layers of wailing strings: acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin and violins/violas. The title of the album and cover art (faded black and white photos) hint of such somber reverie, but it’s the songs inside—or, rather, eulogies—which cut so deep, you can almost feel yourself bleeding. - PLAYBACK MAGAZINE (US)

Viarosa dwells somewhere out on the desolate plains of an unspecific age, halfway between the remote outposts of Nick Cave and Johnny Cash. It's unlikely to divulge the precise location: after all, this is territory populated by murderers and ne'er-do-wells, a land where redemption comes with a heavy price and original sin is less a concept than a roadmap. As it turns out, there's beauty in terror, and on 'Where The Killers Run', Viarosa turns creeping dread into compelling art.
Augmented by creaking violin, otherworldly mandolin and banjo plus Emma Seal's ghostly backing vocals, Richard Neuberg and company (a cast that includes the Willard Grant Conspiracy's Josh Hillman and Cornershop drummer Nick Simms) find that redemption in the midst of a sparse, scorched landscape. Cormac McCarthy would be proud.




- HARP Magazine (US)

"...an album of high quality music... Richard Neuberg has a quite unique and at times unusual voice, and his songwriting skills are also unique as well as being exceptional, with both voice and song accentuating each other..."

"A great album from a distinctive and very talented group." - Maverick Magazine