Drugdealer Cheerleader and
RevelationZ Magazine go way back.
We are like Guns N´Roses and Robert John,
Bret Michaels and insulin...........well, maybe not.
We are probably more like Laurel and Stan.
In 2003 the adventure began when the RevelationZ delegate was picked out to cover
the entire Enuff Z´Nuff/Crash Kelly UK Tour. 4 English lads were opening each night with an impressive energetic stage presence. It took the whole tour to convince yours truly, but they planted a significant mark so I was all excited
in 2005 when I saw the boys on stage again. This time the setlist consisted of brand new songs and they immediately got me hooked. Therefore it's well deserved that Rock fans finally can enjoy the debut CD of this hard working band. These guys have earned their Rock N´Roll spurs - No doubt!
Fireworks opens "Enjoy the Time You Waste". The band has been playing this song for a couple of years. For the chorus the vocals are doubled, which gives the full throttle Rock N´Roll song an extra dimension - certainly one of my personal favorites.
Back in the day lyrics dealt with sex, drugs and Rock N´Roll.
Drugdealer Cheerleader has taken
LMFAO into the now, since the lyrics is about MySpace. It is clever mixed, since the song goes directly into
Britain's Great - another live favorite for years.
On
the last Drugdealer Cheerleader demo I was blown away by the beautiful
You´re t
he Only One, which was unexpected from a full blown Rock N´Roll band. This time the band took it a step further and made an acoustic ballad with a string section.
Summertime is accompanied by beautiful guitar playing from the artist formerly known as Neil (Jay) and it ranks among album highlights.
Gimme some Love is an old school Rocker, which pays homage to the legendary rock bands. Jay´s Gibson sound straight off AC/DC´s "High Voltage" album and the riff for the chorus is borrowed from
It's a Long Way to the Top (If you wanna Rock N´Roll). The guitar solo is almost a
Spinal Tap moment. Overall it's a cool and unpretentious rock song.
Ms LaPish is a fun tongue-in-cheek rock song and also
The Guv'nor deserves a mention since its
driven by a positive beat from skin basher Ringo.
Album highlight is
Take It To The Edge, which has a unique groove and great energy. For the ordained
Drugdealer Cheerleader fan its basically
Maximum Power part II.
The poppy and sugar sweet
X E Cute My X was released as a single. It's definitely the weakest song from the band ever, since it sounds like laxative from a boyband. The blistering solo from Jay uplifts the song, but this is certainly not the direction
Drugdealer Cheerleader should follow.
It's Happening Now ends the album. I love the warm thick sound of a Les Paul. Guitarist Jay lets his tones ring and the guitar work is outstanding.
It's Happening Now is a great penned song with "Bye Bye" repeated in the chorus, which brings the album to a natural end.
The band is like a gang. They are 4 persons which all make
Drugdealer Cheerleader unique. Lead singer Hilda deserves a special mention, since he is the trump card. His voice is strong and he has his own tone. He actually sounds better live than on record. Neither "Enjoy the time you waste" nor their 2 previous demos has managed to fully capture Hilda's vocal talent.
The sound is very dark. The production doesn't suit my taste, since the bass-dominated sound takes life outta most songs. The album sounds like it has been recorded on an old Maxell cassette, which has been re-recorded 100 times prior with lots of bass and Dolby B. It hampers the overall impression. The demos
Drugdealer Cheerleader put up for legal download on their website sounded brighter, which suit their music better.
As
Drugdealer Cheerleader says "Talk is cheap and I'm not buying"! This reviewer will shut up for now, but you should be buying and support one of the hardest working bands in England. If you are in the UK make sure to see them live, where they really unfold their potential.
It's energetic Rock N´Roll - mostly fun and unpretentious.
Drugdealer Cheerleader doesn't sound like anyone else.
Written by
Michael Monday, November 5, 2007
Show all reviews by MichaelRatingsMichael: 6.5/10Members: No members have rated this album yet.
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