I have hundreds of albums to listen and eventually write a review, but when a band are back from the dead almost literally after 16 years, and this band really rocks the socks off once upon a time, I leave everything aside and focus on their release. This is only a six track teaser, probably the guys want to know if there are still headbangers out there interested in real Rock and worth the effort to come back full force. 16 fucking years! It was like yesterday when half of the rockers love them, the other half hate them for their success in 1992 with the single “Everything About You”, which peaked at #3 in the UK Singles Chart and made it into the Billboard Top 10. Later in the year the song was used in the movie “Wayne’s World.” “As Ugly As They Wanna Be” went on to sell over 1,000,000 copies in the U.S. alone becoming the highest selling debut E.P. of all time. But this mixture of satirical humor and Heavy Metal really got me back then, and till they disbanded in 1997, Ugly Kid Joe actually proved they are quite a serious and heavy band, well, keeping a good sense of humor is songs such as “Sandwich” or “Bicycle Wheels”. “Stairway To… Hell”? Are you kidding, don’t you? 😆
Their current line up is the last line up of the band crystallized in the mid 1994.
Whit Crane — vocals, Klaus Eichstadt — guitar, Dave Fortman — guitar, Cordell Crockett — bass and Shannon Larkin — drums (returning from Godsmack) are also kept the direction settled by their last album entitled “Motel California” – a parody of the Eagles’s album, “Hotel California” which also included the song “Rage Against the Answering Machine” which is a pun on the name of the Los Angeles band Rage Against the Machine.
“Devil’s Paradise” ( 😆 ) lyrics is build up on famous song titles and lyrics of Rock and Metal from AC/DC to Black Sabbath and back. It’s good to listen Whit Crane’s nasty voice again – definitively one of the best Rock singers, good to hear those classy and heavy riffs again. Although there is nothing unexpected, nothing outstanding, it’s still good to bang on and it’s… hard as a rock! Maybe there’s a subtle twist of nostalgia in this, but I love them back then, I still loving them. Stairway to Hell…. 🙂
Tracklist:
01. Devil’s Paradise (3:37)
02. You Make Me Sick (3:42)
03. No One Survives (4:02)
04. I’m Alright (3:21)
05. Love Ain’t True! (Feat. Angelo Moore & Dirty Walt of Fishbone) (3:28)
06. Another Beer (3:33)
Ugly Kid Joe is playing a number of music festivals in Europe this summer — including the massive Download Festival — and will be the main supporting act for Guns N’ Roses when they perform in Tel Aviv, Israel, on July 3. Drummer Shannon Larkin will likely not be performing with the band on tour, as some of the dates conflict with Godsmack’s touring schedule. Their official tour schedule is available on their MySpace page.
Ugly Kid Joe – Official Site
Ugly Kid Joe @ MySpace
Ugly Kid Joe @ Facebook
Ugly Kid Joe @ Twitter
Ugly Kid Joe – Fan Site
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBPv2pfzAkk&w=545&h=307]
