VALENSIA – The Secret Album [Unreleased Album II] *Exclusive*

As requested, here’s another rarity. Aldous Byron Valensia Clarkson aka VALENSIA is well known for his overblown brand of pomp / melodic rock having released over his career precious albums in this genre. Between 2008 / 2010 Valensia composed & recorded a lot of music ought to be released as a double-album, but the project was withdrawn.
However, in 2017, Valensia decided to create a Indiegogo campaign to collect some founds for his next album, and these ‘lost’ recordings were sent digitally to contributors as a gift.
These late 2000’s albums were titled ‘Eden And The Second Serpent [Unreleased Album I]’ and ‘The Secret Album [Unreleased Album II]’ (aka Seven). Rather than being the overblown Queen-like symphonies Valensia fans have been used to in the past both albums have a somewhat stripped back sound and relatively – for Valensia anyway – fairly straight forward arrangements.
But saying that the songs are still full of delightful twists and turns that other bands would choke at.
These tracks / songs never were / are available for purchasing… a collectors item now.

In the past Valensia has never been afraid to take inspiration from other artists and here it’s no different either, Aerosmith, Eagles, ABBA come to mind on occasions, but it still all stays perfectly Valensian. Arrangements and production are more earthy than your typical Valensia recording including real orchestras and a lot os studio work / mix.

Particular album highlights being the seductive ‘Something Sexual’, the infectious ‘You Can Cry Yourself’, and ‘The Candle (Serpent Version)’, the latter being a barbed attack on his recording label at the time.
‘Soaring Guitars’, an instrumental sees Valensia coming across as a mash up of Steve Vai and Steve Howe, and ‘The Family Man’ has a rather gritty Aerosmith groove to it.
There is so much to enjoy here, all very well executed and played as is the case with all Valensia’s music. Both unreleased albums are most welcome additions to an already impressive catalogue of works.

‘The Secret Album [aka Seven]’ is a different Valensia, an artist who is content to plough his own furrow regardless of trends. In a just world Valensia would be a household name, but his music is at times just too damn quirky for the mainstream (one of the reasons we love it so much).
These unreleased albums deserve to be heard rather than them gathering dust and hats off. Perhaps some day will be officially released, meanwhile, here they are courtesy of 0dayrox.

01 – The Family Man
02 – Something Sexual
03 – The Impossible Love
04 – The Maestro
05 – Whatever
06 – The Candle (Serpent Version)
07 – The Proposal
08 – Soaring Guitars
09 – You Can Cry Yourself
10 – Play The Game

Valensia – vocals, all instruments
David Clarkson – drums

not for sale