Kottak - Attack
On this, the third Kottak album, James (Kingdom Come/Scorpions) Kottak is again joined by renowned producer/guitarist, Tommy Henriksen (now back in Alice Cooper's band, by the way).
 
Kottak the band - rounded out by Price Vernon, Johnny Lucas and Francis Ruiz on bass, rhythm guitar and drums respectively - once again fits itself squarely into the trashy, punk pop, wham bam thankyou m'a'm rock'n'roll aesthetic. Each track a 3 minute, get in quick and get out again blast of crashing, spring loaded guitars and shouty, attitudinal choruses.  Melodic Pop in a wannabe Cheap Trick, Greenday mould.
It's worked for Kottak twice, especially on last year's impressive 'Rock'N'Roll Forever', where his collaboration with Henriksen resulted in several songwriting payoffs, but with 'Attack', the formula is wearing a little thin. 
 
It's only when the band steps away from the established template, that it works. And thankfully there is a clutch of songs at the heart of 'Attack' that just about carries the day. The singularly impressive 'Bang Bang Baby' strays deep into the darkness of LA Guns' territory. 'Sexy Motherf***er' has a raw, heartfelt charm. Too bad about the banality of the language. The promising 'World War Love' fights hard to escape the band's stylistic straitjacket, with a large measure of success.
But it's the slow burning closing cut, 'Time To Say Goodbye' (not that one), where James Kottak (aka Jimmy Ratchitt) is joined by Kleveland's Stephanie Smith, that really stands out here.
Henriksen's spare, uncluttered production is again a move away from the music's well established norm. It marries a clattering beat and endlessly shuffling rhythms to a shimmering acoustic guitar, allowing Smith's fiercely indignant response perfectly to match Kottak's plaintive, resigned acceptance that it's over.
 
A fine end to an otherwise patchy album.

Written by Brian
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Show all reviews by Brian

Ratings

Brian: 5/10

Members: No members have rated this album yet.


This article has been shown 663 times. Go to the complete list.



RevelationZ Comments











Review by Brian

Released by
SAOL / CMM - 2011

Tracklisting
Teenage Kix
Scandalous
Hit The Heartbrakes
Let's Do It Tonite
Sexy Motherf***er
Perfect Defects
Bang bang Baby
World War Love
So Disconnected
Time To say Goodbye


Style
Melodic Pop

Related links
Visit the band page

Other articles
Band Information - (Steen)

Rock & Roll Forever - (Brian)



Z supported shopping






Ratings
1 - Horrifying
2 - Terrible
3 - Bad
4 - Below average
5 - Average
6 - Good
7 - Very good
8 - Outstanding
9 - Genius
10 - Masterpiece
666 - Unrated

More details...


Daily Spotlight
D:A:D - Riskin' It All
CoverThis was my first D:A:D album and in fact the first time I really started taking notice of Rock music back in the day. 1991 t....
Read full review















Retro Reviews

(Hashman)
Black Sabbath - Seventh Star
Cover"Thunderrrrrrr Shattered the Dawn!" is what Glen Hughes sings out opening this record with one rigorous punch of aggression with "In for the Kill," where the title itself hints the mo....
Read full review






(Steen)
Rhapsody (of Fire) - Legendary Tales
CoverBack in 1997 Rhapsody married the symphonic nature of classical music with heavy metal in a way that felt fresh and new. It resulted in a magnificent debut album that blew yours truly away. Legendary ....
Read full review








Archive
 · Albums of the month
 · Retro Reviews
































Back to the top - © 2002-2011 RevelationZ Magazine - Back to the top