HEAVY METAL KIDS‘Hit The Right Button’ Heavy Metal Records HMRXD236(2003)
Another band back from the past! Sadly missing a few departed members
including singer turned actor Gary Holton. But original members keyboard
player Danny Peyronel (ex-UFO), who handles vocals now, drummer Keith Boyce
and bass player Ronnie Thomas are here, along with two new members Marco
Guarnerio and Marco Barusso. If you didn’t know the band had a past you
would swear they were a new heavy pop/punk rock band, very modern in their
sound but subtle hints of yesteryear are dotted throughout the album. Two of
the best songs on the album start it off, the very catchy ‘Message’, nice
crunching guitars and fast paced vocals and you’ll be singing along with the
chorus in no time at all! ‘Girls Of My Dreams’ is summer tinged pop rocker,
play it loud and sing-a-long! Fans of Butch Walker and Cheap Trick will love
this tune.
More uptempo rock on ‘Viva New York!’ (New York is a recurring lyrical
theme on the album) and ‘Gotham City’. The ballad ‘I Walk Alone’ features
70’s style Hammond organ that drives the song along nicely before the later
part of the song goes all Queen in the guitar department! ‘Crool World’
rumbles along nicely with a harmony filled chorus, another catchy anthem
form the band. Only letdowns for me on here are ‘Whiskey’, which is an
average rocker but not very memorable after repeated plays. ‘Voices’ sounds
uncannily like a mid-tempo Crown of Thorns track, I would swear that it was
Jean Beauvoir singing on there! A fine way on which to end the album.
A great album, it’s chock full of memorable melodies and catchy hooks.
Fans of the Wildhearts, Butch Walker and Cheap Trick will thoroughly enjoy
the songs on here.
***** Out of this world | **** Pretty
damn fine |
*** OK, approach with caution unless you are a fan |
** Instant bargain bin fodder | * Ugly. Just ugly