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Artist: Hardcore Circus |
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Anyone
that know me knows I like a little dirty rock n' roll, so when Hardcore
Circus was sent I knew instantly that this is the kind of album that
really floats my boat. The
band itself is the brainchild of Joakim
Bloohm (Randy Piper's Animal) & Jorgen Bolmstad (Surround), who's
intent was to deliver a sleaze driven rock n' roll album with the same no
nonsense rock n' roll vibe of Motley Crue (that’s all I needed to know),
gritty sleaze driven dirty rock n' roll in the Sunset Vibe of the 80’s. Joining Bolmstad and Bloohm on this rock n' roll road-trip are Nalley Pahlsson (Treat, Last Autumns Dream, Vindictiv, Therion) on bass and guitarist Carl-Johan Grimmark (Narnia, Rob Rock, Full Force, Saviour Machine & Divinefire), also in the backroom adding vocal harmonies is Mats Levén (Yngwie J Malmsteen, Therion, Treat, Swedish Erotica, Southpaw), who is the perfect complement to Jorgen & Nalley's voices. The kick-ass rock n'
roll gets the old juices flowing from the off with ‘She Goes Down’, a
real chunky riff filled opening attack that really ticks all the boxes
for a hair-metal fan like myself. The same sleaze driven vibe is
continued with the thumping ‘Queen Of Dirt’, again groove filled old
school Hard Rock that pushes all right buttons in my book. The band show they
can mix it up a bit as Bolmstad brings an air of the Melodic Rock
vocally to the fantastic ‘Under My Skin’ before punching things back
up with the hard-hitting ‘Who I Am’ and then mixing both styles with
the stunning ‘Life’. But it’s the
ballsy rock n' roll of the likes of ‘Hardcore Circus’ that really
bring those Sunset Strip days flooding back, although there is a more modern
edge to this one even with some CC DeVille guitar styled licks mid track. The title track is
next ‘Wake Up Call’, this is the real deal when it comes to that much
publicised modern rock vibe. The heady bass lick wrapped around a meaty
drum sound and fiery guitar sound, and of course a vocalist that brings
it all together in a nice tight bundle wrap it. Label it whatever you
want, this is great rock n' roll, ENOUGH SAID! The tempo is
brought back down with the ‘Pain’, the tempo might be a little slower
but the same intensity of the rest of the album is still here in spades.
This is just a short rest bite as it's back to the hard edged Hard Rock
with ‘Tattooed Junkie’, before the album is wrapped up with the
excellent ‘Miracle’. Again a great slice of Melodic Hard Rock which
closes a stunning album that really will touch both the old school
rockers and the younger fans of good, honest, no nonsense rock music. |
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Tracklisting: 1.
She Goes Down |
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All content copyright of The Mayfair Mall Zine unless otherwise stated. |
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