The New Czars are going to appeal to fans of bands like Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver. It's very accessible hard rock music with enough quirkiness to keep it fresh.

'Keep On Goin' is a suitable opener for an album which rocks and howls with pile driving riffs and guitars wailing like a deranged banshee.

Singer-guitarist Greg Hampton cites Nine Inch Nails and King Crimson amongst his influences but that's later-period not 'Lizard' from the sounds on here. (Adrian Belew guests on several tracks). Perhaps best evidenced on an instrumental, 'Abstract Prague', whilst 'Funky Detour' is just that, with Hampton's psyched-out guitar against a rumbling beat.

There's 16 tracks, and not a dull moment. 'Desperate' is wonderfully riffy and could easily be a single, ditto 'So Sure', whilst 'Why Do U Have 2 Lie' slows the pace and delivers a real killer chorus showing that the band can step off the riff-fest for a moment.

For a long time in the shadow of those for whom they have worked sessions (Hampton played on Alice Cooper's 'Along Came A Spider' and produced Lita Ford's latest album), The New Czars are now ready to claim their own piece of the action.

*****

Review by David Randall