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10 out of 10
For every review I have done so far I have tried to approach it neutrally and as an observer. The biggest crime that I think I could commit as a reviewer is to be too much of a fan-boy. But when I came to review this album I forgot all about that. This album makes me want to be a fan-boy. I don't think there is a way that I could review this album without coming across as a sycophantic fan, so I'm not even going to bother to try and act differently. Without doubt this is my album of the year.
Steel Panther rock so hard it is untrue. Every song on this album is a winner, but more than that every song will be recognisable to fans of 80s hair metal. Death to all but Metal is the lead single and deservedly so; it packs a huge punch and really sets the tempo for the album. The lyrics are crass, the solos are impressive and the delivery is as impressive as any band that Steel Panther tries to parody.
If you have any inkling that perhaps Steel Panther are a shock-band and that Death to all but Metal is atypical of the album as a whole, you would be very, very wrong. The next track Asian Hooker is perhaps one of the downright wrong songs I have ever heard. Detailing the bands exploits on one of their fictional tours to Asia it has one of the most unforgettable chorus' you will hear.
Steel Panther are not just a 'joke' band, Eyes of a Panther is the one song that needs no editing if it is to get on the radio as it is the one 'clean' song on the album, and it shows that they don't need to be swearing and cursing to write a good song. However, to write a great song, which they do often, the swearing and disgusting-ness is amped up. The Whitesnake homage Fat Girl is a pretty simple song, it's about the desperation that lead singer Michael Starr feels and his reasoning behind taking home a girl of the larger persuasion. It contains, like the rest of the album, some flat out amazing lyrics: "Fat girl, you are everything I wanted and more/Fat girl, you can't fit through the door".
The homages to rock legends don't end there, Party All Day, featuring Justin Hawkins of the Darkness and most recently Hot Leg, is as blatant a rip off of a Bon Jovi song as you will ever hear, even including a talk-box. It is the song Bon Jovi would have written if he had some huge balls, and the first time you hear the intro I bet you will start singing about Tommy and his job on the docks. The album ends with the acoustic ballad Girl From Oklahoma, a pretty large hat-tip to the classic Extreme song More Than Words, although this version you might not want to let your mum listen to: "All around the worlds, there's a hundred million stupid girls/Just like you/Begging for nuts to chew".
This album is a great album. It's perfect for a road trip, it's perfect for a drunken sing-a-long and it's simply a perfect album. Unlike many parody efforts I feel that it will actually have lasting value. The music is ridiculously solid and the lyrics are laugh out loud funny. I love this album and I will for a long time to come.
Listen: www.myspace.com/steelpantherkicksass
Tracklist:
1. Death to all but Metal
2. Asian Hooker
3. Community Property
4. Eyes of a Panther
5. Fat Girl
6. Eatin' Ain't Cheatin'
7. Party All Day
8. Turn Out the Lights
9. Stripper Girl
10. The Shocker
11. Girl From Oklahoma
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