Hardcore Superstar

Beg For It

Written by: AP on 21/07/2009 20:22:06

Despite the fact that Hardcore Superstar has existed for more than a decade, been decorated with many a Grammy-nomination in their home country Sweden, and consistently topped the single charts there, my familiarity with the band is limited to a performance of theirs at Metal Town last year. However, I have done my homework, researched their past endeavors and found that next to no stylistic nor musical progression has taken place over the years, and instead the band is quite comfortable where they are, putting out quality sleaze rock or, as they dub it, street metal. Beg For It is a continuation of this trend and although it neither reinvents nor advances the band's tight pants and bandannas image, these devils know how to write hard-hitting rock n' roll.

I will admit that I was not immediately enamored, but the record has grown on me since. Listening to music like this requires a special frame of mind: one must not spin it expecting compositions that push boundaries, and certainly not a band that advances heavy music like many of the band's Gothenburg peers. No, one must accept that Hardcore Superstar have chosen a less revolutionary path, focusing instead on conventional 4/4 rhythms and a classic stack guitar sound and writing catchy pop songs with an air of nostalgia. Everything about this band nods toward 80's glam rock.

Beg For It begins with the dramatic, if somewhat deceptive intro track This Worm's For Ennio, a tribute to Ennio Morricone, an Italian composer whose repertoire includes the characteristic soundtracks of Sergio Leone's spaghetti Westerns (A Fistful of Dollars, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and so on) as well as a number of gangster films such as Once Upon A Time in America. It flows seamlessly into the somewhat more optimistic sounding title track, an epic crowd pleaser with an almost stadium rock feel. Worth mentioning is that the difference in atmosphere between this and the aforementioned intro is quite substantial, which plays well into the self-irony and sense of humor for which Hardcore Superstar is famed. A good place to start should the listener be under the impression that this band's music is entirely serious.

Obviously this isn't some joke band either, and the instrumental prowess of guitarist Vic Zino, most prominent during the many solos dotting the album, should certify this as fact. The album's heart, as already hinted at, beats for the 80's, so expect plenty of choruses to sing along to, a raspy, high-pitched vocal performance that borders between sleazy and downright mad, and the obligatory anthem to please the girls of course. Beg For It is about as uncomplicated as it gets, and yet it retains a constant fascination by means of groove and songs that spell the words dance motherfuckers. It's easy listening and a party-starter all at once and if Buckcherry strikes a chord with you, I see no reason not to recommend buying this one as well.

7

Download: Beg For It, Don't Care 'Bout Your Bad Behaviour, Spit It Out

For the fans of: Backyard Babies, Buckcherry, Hanoi Rocks, Mötley Crüe

Listen: Myspace

Release date 19.05.2009

Nuclear Blast

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