Black Rain

License To Thrill

Written by: TL on 02/11/2010 20:55:10

Hey kids! Who's up for some music that goes well with digging out your leopard-spotted tightpants, applying enough guyliner to look like a panda, and puffing up your hair with enough product to make the whole do go *poof* when it gets hit by sparks from your favorite band's pyrotechnics? Anyone with their hands raised, get ready for Black Rain and their debut album "License To Thrill"!

What we have here, are four French dudes, who seem to have thought that instead of either creating something original or at least contemporary, it would be a much better idea to start a band that would be a no-frills throwback to the glam rock of the late 70s/early 80s. Forget about bringing anything new to the table. Save for the production values, "License To Thrill" is a duel between squealing guitars and a squealing Axl Rose-soundalike, set amidst dead-simple chord-rock-songs, complete with dull beats, oldschool gang vocals and moronic lyrical content.

"N.A.S.T.Y.", "True Girls Are Sixteen", "Rockstars Don't Go To Jail" - those are a few of your song choices from the album which I feel like reiterating, is called "License To Thrill". Okay, so I know this is the kind or rock'n'roll that is actually supposed to glorify stupidity to a certain extent, but where the bands that inspired Black Rain all made losing your mind sound like an appealing thing to do, these guys don't make it sound anything other than just dumb.

I could spend time criticizing the lack of originality or the uninspired songwriting, but when the chips are down, I think what Black Rain are really short on is personality. I mean let's face it, Justin Hawkins already revived this genre in two bands (The Darkness and Hot Leg), doing a fairly charming interpretation in both cases, and when listening to "License To Thrill", it's clear as day that their stuff doesn't credibly display the needed swagger to measure up to even him.. And if that's the case, somebody explain me why I would want to listen to them, rather than actual classic material from this genre? I mean, people still listen to KISS. Hell, some people even still listen to Twisted Sister (makes me think what Black Rain is missing is really facepaint, no?), but over the course of their first album, BR give no clue as to why anyone should listen to them as an alternative, or even an addition. Until they find a solution to this problem, I can't take them very seriously, and I advise that neither do you, unless your mind is stuck in the early 80s. In that case, enjoy.

4

Download: True Girls Are Sixteen
For The Fans Of: Twisted Sister, Alice Cooper, KISS, Ratt
Listen: myspace.com/blackfuckinrain

Release Date 14.12.2010
Listenable Records

Related Items | How we score?
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

Legal

© Copyright MMXXIV Rockfreaks.net.