Stephen
I'm already impressed with SANTA CRUZ' EP from last year and I'm very excited to see how the new album goes and my high expectation was met and this band passed with a flying color. This is one of the few bands that's able to capture the real 80s vibe perfectly but without falling into the copycat hole. I heard a lot of early GUNS N ROSES and SKID ROW references here and there, but they manage to turn them into their own signature sound.
The opening tune, 'Screaming For Adrenaline', stuffed with aggressive guitar sound yet the chorus is catchy and very melodic. The next track, 'Anthem For The Young N Restless', is familiar because it's included in the EP, and I really like this track, I think this is among their best creation, along with 'Let's Get The Party Started' and 'Aiming High' which like a lost tracks of SKID ROW's debut.
On the other hand, the first single, 'Relentless Renegades', strangely fill me with doubt. It's a good track, but didn't impress me much, just like the average mid-pace ballad, 'Nothing Compares To You', or the other uptempo track, 'Alive', but kudos on the powerful and wild guitar playing on this latter tune. The rest are nice and easy, 'Sweet Sensation' is a brilliant commercial track, 'High On You' is a nice 'Mr.Browstone' style piece, 'Lovin' You' is lovable, and 'Let Me (Lay My Love On You)' is a perfect WARRANT-meets-GNR closer.
Production value is ultimately good, musicianship is top notch except maybe some of you may notice the slightly accented vocal but nothing's to complain, and replay value is very high, especially if you really like a good combo of sleaze and melodic rock. Recommended!