We all read label PR blurbs with a huge pinch of salt handy, don't we? Metal Mayhem's claims for new "melodic hair metal" band
Miss Crazy brackets them with
Cinderella,
AC/DC and Aerosmith. Yeah, right.
But, shock horror, this time the claim is pretty close to the mark.
'Miss Crazy' turns out to be a debut album of considerable poise and confidence. More
Cinderella and
Def Leppard than
AC/DC or Aerosmith, with a little touch of
Kiss here and there, but hell, I'm not complaining.
Producer Ronnie (Trixie) Borchert has captured an exhilarating spark of spontaneity in many of these tracks, yet the album accumulates to a cohesive, coherent, head turning rock'n'roll noise, occasionally unpredictable, but never self indulgent.
Opener
'No Compromise' intros with a guttural, recurring chant, before a steamrolling riff breaks through, pushing the song into the darker side of
Cinderella territory. Any decent label would have signed the band on the strength of this one distinctive song. Thankfully, there's plenty more good stuff.
'Billie' and
'Life's Been Good' maintain the momentum with driving, pounding riffs and wiry lead guitar. Markus Christopher's broken glass rasp elevates the balladic
'You're Blue' to Tom Keifer level, giving the song a fractured, menacing spin. After
'No Compromise',
'So Long' is probably the album's standout track, striking more of a grownup pose against a thirsty riff and a simple, repetitive beat.
Arguably, the band paint from a limited sonic palette, but the songs embrace just enough aural hooks to grab our attention. Borchert plays his part by further ensuring that there are enough inventive and effective moments scattered among the strums and stomps to hold our interest.
'Miss Crazy' will not win plaudits for originality. Few albums in this genre will. That it plays impressively to the past without sounding clichéd or overly derivative is a tribute to the band's songwriting skill and Borchert's intuitive production.
Recommended.
Written by
Brian Wednesday, April 19, 2006
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