NYC rock diva Queen V’s self-titled 12-track endeavor rocks way harder than your standard female-fronted rock group has prepared you for, thanks to both the excellent ensemble songwriting and V’s astounding vocal performance that ranges from the snarl of Brody to Amy Lee’s soaring heights. Channeling Pat Benatar and The Runaways for a dollop of attitude on tracks like "America", this sultry songbird can also take it down a notch on introspective numbers like "Right or Wrong". With an army of musicians wailing away, V’s tough girl posturing and take no shit stance comes off as genuine as it gets, especially on her gender-bending cover of Thin Lizzy’s "The Rocker", where V twists Phil Lynott’s part to perfection. Despite the sterile feeling that the too many cooks in the kitchen feel of the disc leaves, Queen V’s undeniable hard rock spirit and impassioned singing ability shines bright here, perhaps catapulting her to bedroom walls and award shows in the near future.