. . . and then they were back.
After a four year absence, a reformed Buckcherry rages back to the forefront of rock, brandishing their fiery brand of raucous, take-no-prisoners while you fuck-your-brains-out sleaze and roll. Don't forget that this is the band that was once handed the mantle of the new Gun's and Roses after Axl steered that band clear off the rock and roll highway and straight into the trash dump. Believe me, Buckcherry knows this and they relish it, living up to these lofty standards, bringing on a mini-garage/metal, raid-the whorehouse classic, all delivered with Buckcherry's middle finger firmly shoved up the world's collective ass.
While the band has changed, Josh Todd and guitarist Keith Nelson now adding three new members on drums, bass and guitar, collectively, the group sound invigorated and as nasty as ever. This is sneering, snotty-faced street punk, hyped up and glammed-up with a hefty dose of chops and attitude. Josh Todd wastes no time declaring his return, "So Far," blasts 15 off, fierce hard rock chewed up and spit out in the face of all the critics or naysayers who doubted the authenticity of the band's revival. "I didn't do it for money/I did all it for free/I did it all to fill the fucking hole inside of me." One listen to the passion bursting out of the band, and there's no denying it. These guys live rock and roll. Todd's voice is in fine form, if anything, sounding more textured than before. When he digs down into his throat tearing screams, you can hear each individual cell peeling off his vocal chords.
"Next to you," (see video) slams the band back into the garage, tearing out a classic sleazy, totally infectious riff over a pounding beat while Todd states his damned determination to get deep inside some lucky lady's chastity belt. Once the lyrics dig in, you realize, as with all the best sleaze bands, Todd's desire to get a little "play" is more than a passing fancy, its a damn obsession. His determination to get laid factors into almost half the songs. Not that that's a bad thing mind you. We all have our goals in life.
Then, just when you think you've got the flavor of the album summed up, the boys aren't afraid to mix it up, throwing in a few new ingredients. "Out of Line," is full-on alterna-rock, shimmering, stuttering guitars hiding under the pile-driving, AC/DC chord progression and thundering 4/4 beat. Todd's voice shows greater depth and range than anywhere else on the album, ranging between downright subtle and (dare I say, it?) beautiful to esophagus shredding punk wailing. No matter how you slice it, this track is a stand out.
"Everything," follows suit, building on a U2-esque guitar opener to launch into a soaring, arena pleasing chorus demonstrating some hefty maturation for the boys in terms of songwriting and craft. After the pleasing and intensely melodic power ballads, "Carousel," and "Sorry," the boys rush back with another ode to Todd's penis, the freakishly, swirling rock of "Crazy Bitch," (see video). Powering over the dual guitar interplay of full-on rock and scattering funk, Todd wins this year's Ripple award for the least romantic lyric recorded. "Hey! You're a crazy bitch but you fuck so good I'm on top of it." Somehow, for Todd it works, but you should've seen the fists start flying when I tried to use it as an opening line in the pub last night.
Rather than stuttering to a close, quality rockers like "Onset," and "Sunshine," the down-home, rising out of the Mississippi muck swamp rock of "Brooklyn," and the devastatingly powerful closer "Broken Glass," keep the passion raging all the way to the end, a fricking jism fest of pounding rock.
In the end, Buckcherry prove with 15 that they can out-motley the Crue boys at their own game of living-on-the-edge rock and roll. And if that statement sounds a little too grand, just check them out for yourselves. We've just been informed by the fine folks at Rock Ridge Music, that Buckcherry will be teamed up with the Crue, leaving their splattered stains across the nation in Motley's first ever annual summer festival, Cruefest '08, hitting 40 cities across the good ol' US of A this summer. Along with Papa Roach and Trapt, this is going to be one freaking tattooed, rock and roll sleaze fest that no warm blooded American would ever want to miss. God bless 'em.
--Racer
Buy here: 15
http://www.buckcherry.com/
www.myspace.com/buckcherryworldwide
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