Artist: Gemini Five
   Title: Sex Drugs & Anarchy
   Label: Wild Kingdom

Well it's been five years since the Stockholm Glamsters Gemini Five released their debut album 'Babylon Rockets' and set about reinventing the Scandinavian sleaze Metal scene with their infection groove filled rhythms.  And in 2005 the band improved on the debut with the outstanding 'Black Anthem' album again receiving great reviews worldwide.

Now the band have returned with what is without a doubt their hottest release to date, ‘Sex, Drugs, Anarchy’ once again see's the band injecting some much needed Glamour and Sleaze in the market place.

The band have taken it upon themselves to produce the album, thus giving us a true feel for what the band are all about, great licks, a momentous back beat and a vocal assault not heard since Motley's ‘Girls Girls Girls’ album.

Along the way between the second album and this new album, the band have inducted none other than Warrior Soul’s Kory Clarke into the song writing ranks of the band, as he has penned the lyrics on not just one but four songs on the album.

The album also boasts guest appearances by Crash Diets Martin Sweet on lead guitar, Peter London and Eric Young (backing vox), Sweet also co-wrote 3 tracks on the album.

Now to the album itself, things get going after the intro ‘Thunder & Lightening’ with the excellent ‘I Am Hollow’, which to me shows how the band have matured since the first two albums.  It's still 100% Gemini Five, but there is more bite to the sound this time around.  Whether this is due to the bands own production or the guitar wizardry of new kid on the block Dany “Dee Dee” Douglas it's hard to say, but it's hard, aggressive and instantly addictive, with Tin Star’s unmistakable vocals wrapped around a barrage of hard edged guitars and a thumping rhythm section. 

It's all guns blazing again with ‘Scream 4 Me’, this time with the pummelling bass of Hot Rod and the tub thumping of Slim Pete getting this one underway, before the superb sleaze driven guitars of Dee Dee and Hot Rod bring this one to the boil as the duo are joined by Sweet on this one.

The first of the tracks  co-written by Clarke is ‘Here Looking At You Kid’ with Pete getting this all systems go rocker started before the rest of the band are unleashed to produce one of the most stylish Sleaze Rockers I’ve heard this year.

This album just goes from strength to strength as each track unfolds with one of my favourite tracks off the album next, the simply sublime Glamster ‘All Pistols’, this the band at their best hard guitars with a back beat to match, great stuff indeed.

The title track ‘Sex Drugs Anarchy' keeps things going again a heady mix of rampaging slung down guitars and an infectious rhythm section, then the pace is brought down just a touch with the excellent ‘Lay Your Money Down’, another of those tracks co-written with Clarke.

Once again it's pedal to the metal with ‘Here 2day Gone 2mrw’, again riff spewn guitars at their most hedonistic, then there's a complete change in tempo with the somewhat Melodic Glam of ‘Something’s Gotta Give’, before the earth shattering pace is resumed with another of my favourite tracks off the album the magnificent ‘Blood On The Bricks’.  This is old school Glam all the way, this is where Poison meets the Motley’s.

The express train almost leaves the tracks with the massive guitars on ‘We Do Not Come In Peace’ simple exploding without compromise along with another rhythm section assault by Slim Pete and Tin Star.

This monstrous album comes to a close with ‘Stay With Me’, a harder more dark feeling to this one and is as close to a ballad the band come on the album.  This song gives the listener a chance to catch their breath before they jump back up an press play once again an ride the roller coaster of Sex Drugs Anarchy again.

This is without any doubt the bands finest hour and hopefully they will bring their infectious rock n' roll show to these shores before the year closes.

Tracklisting:
 
  1. Thunder & Lightning
  2. I Am Hollow
  3. Scream 4 Me
  4. Here's Looking At You Kid
  5. All Pistols
  6. Sex Drugs Anarchy
  7. Lay Your Money Down
  8. Here 2Day Gone 2Mrw
  9. Something's Gotta Give
 10. Blood On The Bricks
 11. We Do Not Come In Peace
 12. Stay With Me

 

                  

 

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