This debut from Dubliners' Boss Volenti is so damn authentic that it should have the words 'classic rock' scratched into it's very grooves. Vinyl grooves, that is, because the thunderous attack of Deeper Than Deep and the noodling delights of Shot, hark back to an era when facial hair wasn't sculpted by a Remington and decadence wasn't an adjunct to a marketing campaign. The Boss are heavy on hypnotic riffs, pulversing vocals and a gleeful absence of artifice. Belongs somewhere between a battered copy of ZZ Top's Fandango and Queens Of The Stone Age's Songs For The Deaf. Which is always a good thing.
3 stars
RTE Guide, 9 - 15th September 2006.

As the only Irish hardcore band of note, Boss Volenti certainly stand out from the crowd. But don't let the whiff of novelty put you off: at full tilt, this four-piece crank out an awesome hard-rock groove. Kicking off in squalls of bass riffs, their debut LP wears it's influences proudly. There's more than a hint of Fugazi and Black Flag, in particular, to these pile-driver anthems, although Boss Volenti's gift for insidious melodies marks them out as something greater than a glorified tribute act.
...the Boss Volenti rhythm section is the record's driving force. Rubbery bass motifs and loose-limbered percussion breakdowns give the project a weirdly funky quality, while vocalist Rob Daly isn't above the occasional Prince-informed falsetto. Still, with dissonant guitars always prowling in the backround, nobody is gonna mistake Boss Volenti for a party album. In fact, it is something far more interesting: a straight-edged hard rock record delivered with wit and brio.
4 stars
Metro Newspaper, 8th September 2006.

Ex-Therapy? drummer Graham Hopkins liked Boss Volenti's sound so much he practically stalked them until they let him join. You can see why he wanted in on this one: the Dublin band rock straight from the hip, shuffling the Kings Of Leon and Queens Of The Stone Age, and pulling the odd ace out of their sleeves. Despite their resolutely old-school approach ( Ain't No Use ends with a traditional guitar solo, and the spirit of 1970s rock hovers  over such tunes as Deeper Than Deep, Shot and Roll It Into Shape), BV pull through on sheer spit and swagger, dispensing these 10 tunes with the efficiency of Dirty Harry. Singer/bassist Rob Daly and guitarists Laura Mackey and Dan O'Connor make sure their new drummer earns his keep on such high-impact rockers as Nine Point Eight, The Range and Can't Seem To Find A Way.
3 stars
The Ticket, The Irish Times, 1st September 2006.

I heard the opening track 'Ain't No Use' over a year ago because, you see, one of the bandmembers gave my flatmate a CD-R of their music (it said Boss Volenti - Ain't No Use on it) at an exclusive Dublin party. Ouch, I just hurt my foot there.... Anyway, BV is in fact loads of use and one could even go so far as to say they are 'boss'.
70%
Mongrel, Issue 24, September 2006.

Boss Volenti? Perhaps i'm displaying my ignorance here, but it sounds like an associate of Tony Soprano's. Or something you'd order in a restaurant. Or even a brand new designer aftershave. But no, it's the self-titled debut from the Dublin rock band who've recently been joined by former Therapy? sticksman Graham Hopkins. How Dublin are they? Well, they recorded this in the Factory and thank Joe Elliot and Tony Fenton on the sleeve.
Sounds a little suspect, but the addition of Hopkins is a good sign. Somewhat remarkably (for a drummer), Hopkins has kept himself both busy and credible in recent years, so you know he's not going to hook up with any old bunch of leathery, long-haired chancers.
And of course he hasn't. Frontman Rob Daly has an impressive and distinctive voice, and Dan O'Connor and Laura Mackey make all the right guitar noises. With monsieur Hopkins banging up the rear, their sound is loud, fast and tight.
They kick off with one of their singles Ain't No Use and essentially keep on kicking until it's all over or your neighbours call the cops. The pace rarely lets up. I haven't really investigated the lyrics, I've just been enjoying the noise...On tracks like Opposite Directions and The Gun, Boss Volenti amply demonstrate that they have what it takes to succeed in FM-land (first cut Deeper Than Deep also features). This isn't just radio frendly. This is radio intimate. Actually, at times it's practically shagging the radio. But I don't mean that disparagingly....Their album, to use the Dub vernacular, is 'boss'.
7/10
Hot Press, vol 30, no 18, September 2006.