Shadow of the Monster
Hell In The Club
Glam-u. Hairspray Hard Rock of the 80s is back !! Nothing new ? Ok, but rarely one remembered to the old heroes like Hell In The Club. The band, in which also members of Elvenking and Secret Sphere play, comes from Italy, but the sound has nothing to do with the typical Italo-Metal.
There is rather consistently party time, that’s what the opener “Dance!” propagates soon. Always in the sleazy area, where also the newer rough Rock’n Roll movement is not spared. But singer Dave seems to have a fable for older legends like Axl Rose, Joe Elliott and Vince Neil. Just “Try Me, Hate Me” is like Vince Neil is singing and could come from one of the better Mötley Crüe albums.
However, when the youthful sound and fresh, polyphonic choruses in a variety of songs appears, more than one time the early impetuous Hard Rock of Def Leppard is shining (“Hell Sweet Hell”, “Naked”). The Gunners take highly place in “Appetite” (hear ya ?).Also some guitar lines on the album are similar to Slash & Co in their early years.
But the guys do it quite well. You believe in their preference for the former (US) Hard Rock and the guitar work seems very confident. A bit out of the line wanders “Le Cirque Des horreurs” which gets going through an eerie circus melody. Here the band seems quite original, which manifests itself in the context of rock greats affinities as well.
With “Money Changes Everything” Hell In The Club finally use a cover version of The Brains, more famous by the version of Cindy Lauper in the 80s. Quite ok, but the song is not one of the highlights.
With quotes from Aerosmith, the harder Bon Jovi rock numbers and even Van Halen in Sammy Hagar times Hell In The Club ensure a steady smile on the lips and therefore fans want to hang up again and again with the album. You can like the cover artwork of horror specialist Thomas Milliner , but you don’t have to. I find it a bit too childish and placed, despite the rather pretty Freddy Krueger figure. A carefree pleasure – Welcome to the Club!
Release date: 22-01-2016
Reviewer: Erich Robbers
Score: 7
