I was blown away by the Swedish rockers' sophomore album,
Switchblade Serenades, and had high hopes for this release, despite the departure of bassplayer and songwriter
Benton. It's always tough to lose a songwriting member of any band and the scenario of fading quality after a few great releases and line up changes is far too well known. But fear not:
True Sound Of The Underground is everything a hard rocker could ever wish for!
The band plays a mix of old school Rock 'n Roll and Punk. The riffs are punk-ish and simple, the commanding and confident vocals of
Liv dominate the music, and the gang-vocals provide a tough, devil-may-care feeling. There are elements in the music that makes me think of bands like
Mötley Crüe or early
W.A.S.P., especially the guitarwork.
The album starts out with the rough, rebellious anthem
The Sound Of The Underground, setting the tone for the album perfectly. In a time of everybody wanting their 15 minutes of fame and talent shows flooding the TV screen, trying to tell the world that Rockstars can be "made" instantly, songs like this and bands like
Sister Sin are a welcome reminder that there is a whole world out there, where talent, hard work, following your own musical vision and having your freedom is still important. Where bands still meet up in basements, get a few beers and actually practice, where rock 'n' roll is still about being daring and being free.
All songs on the album possess that same anthemic quality; they are very catchy, but still quite heavy. Songs to pump your fist and scream along to! The rough production suits the music and helps convey that dusty, gritty, dirty underground feeling.
Switchblade Serenades had an even dirtier production, mimicking the sound of an old vinyl, with the dust being audible between songs - a brilliant, fitting production, and this is in the same vein.
It is easy to see why
Outrage is a little hit for the band; it's just so catchy and has that rebellious, cheeky edge. A song that stays glued to your brain after the first listen!
Better Than Them is a personal favorite. This song has a fantastic drive! That tension building guitar riff just rules, while the lyrics convey a simple, but ballsy statement: So who are those bastards to judge and dictate what I need? Think you´re better than me? An ode to all the outsiders, all those, who choose to live life according to their own values, the few in numbers, but strong at heart. A great song, lyrically and musically.
While bands often pay tribute to their idols by covering classic songs,
U.D.O.'s 24/7 seem an odd choice, though it was the titletrack and single of an album, it is not one of his signature songs, and not old enough to truly be considered a "classic". Though I don't really see the point in this cover, the song itself does work quite well.
There´s not much variation on the album, but that is not to be expected within this style and not necessary when the material and performance is this intense!
Songs like
Heading For Hell and
Times Aren't A-Changing are typical
Sister Sin. A few songs on the album could have been on the verge of filler, but is saved by the fact that the whole band is just brimming over with enthusiasm and what seem to be a genuine joy of playing this music. With this type of music, attitude is half of it, if not more, and that's where
Sister Sin wins!
In short, this is a great album from one of the most interesting bands around right now! Hopefully,
Sister Sin will get some recognition and continue to kick our asses with albums like this one!
Written by
Nina Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Show all reviews by NinaRatingsNina: 8/10Members: 7/10 - Average of 1 ratings.
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