WARRANT - review added 6th May 2011
Album Review: Rockaholic (2011)
For fans of: Hard Rock
Warrant are back, but not quite as we know them. Best known for their late 1980s/early 1990s OTT hard rock ('Cherry Pie', 'Uncle Tom's Cabin') and easy-on-the-ear ballads ('Sometimes She Cries', 'Heaven'), the sound was built around Jani Lane's charismatic vocals. However, with him now out of the band, new boy Robert Mason (Lynch Mob, Cry of Love) takes over lead duties.
The new sound doesn't sound much like the Warrant of old. This is now a more grown-up band with a more restrained singer playing more mature music. The excesses of old are still there, but they have been morphed with intelligence and a contemporary charm...pushing out the hairspray and MTV-baiting explosiveness.
Is the Warrant of 2011 as good as the Warrant of old? Hard to say...even though the musicians are the same, the style is so different they cannot be compared. I love the band's old tracks, but there's a hell of a lot to like here too. Opener 'Sex Ain't Love' is a monster, 'Innocence Gone' rocks in a big way, the catchy 'Snake' has a big chorus, the vaguely grungy 'Dusty’s Revenge' is uber-cool, 'Home' is a Heaven-ish ballad (though not quite in the same league, 'What Love Can Do' is a groovier ballad that does it's own thing and it all the better for it, 'Life’s A Song' is a brilliantly memorable anthem.
'Show Must Go On' nods to classic Boston and works well, 'Cocaine Freight Train' is surprisingly heavy and frantic...in a good way, 'Found Forever' is a slow stonker, 'Candy Man' is pretty anonymous unfortunately, the vaguely-surreal 'Sunshine' gets things back on track, 'Tears In The City' is a tad lightweight to start with but it's a real grower. Final track 'The Last Straw' bounds along closes the album in catchy rocking style.
In Summation:
There are a lot of properly excellent songs here. "Rockaholic" doesn't come across like the Warrant of old, but that's not a problem. The new Warrant is rather splendid too.
Entertainment/Enjoyment:
Musicianship:
Vocals:
Song Writing:
Production:
Overall (Not An Average Of The Above):
Track List:
01. Sex Ain’t Love
02. Innocence Gone
03. Snake
04. Dusty’s Revenge
05. Home
06. What Love Can Do
07. Life’s A Song
08. Show Must Go On
09. Cocaine Freight Train
10. Found Forever
11. Candy Man
12. Sunshine
13. Tears In The City
14. The Last Straw
Band/Performers:
Erik Turner on guitar
Jerry Dixon on bass
Joey Allen on guitar
Steven Sweet on drums
Robert Mason on vocals
Other Info:
Produced by Keith Olsen (Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Scorpions)
Mixed by Pat Regan (Kiss, Deep Purple, Ted Nugent)
Label: Frontiers Records
Artist's website(s): Warrant | MySpace | Facebook
