Bomb Brigade
Some metal music critics,that had caught these Indiana natives in concert on their short pre-album-release tour, suggested that Sweet F.A. may be the next coming of Van Halen.This was,of course,before their debut album was even released.Unfortunately,the band fell way short of those expectations with the arrival of Stick To Your guns. Although the band was something of a spectacle to behold on the live circuit at the time:singer Steven DeLeong,giving old school David Lee Roth a run for his money,as a dazzling whirlwind of combustible energy,never standing still long enough so much as to catch a grasp of air.The dueling guitar pyrotechnics of guitarists James Thunder(a dead ringer for actor Lou Diamond Phillips)and Jon Huffman,who,together,were affectionately dubbed "Thunder and Lightning" because of their on stage fury.And the rock steady rhythm section of Jim Quick and Tricky Lane.And they were cornfeed pretty boys to boot;no need for make-up and hairspray here.We're talking natural good looks,with cocksure smiles to melt many a groupies fluttering heart.These guys had it down,with their live act.Their weren't too many tighter acts in the land at the time,in this particular arena of rock n' roll.Most other bands of this nature were too busy primping and worrying about how many shares of AquaNet to invest in,rather than hone their musical chops to the abilities displayed by Sweet F.A at the time.Now,all this having been said about the band's brilliant live presentation,let's get to the heart of the matter... Stick To your Guns falls way short of its intended target and remains nothing more than some excusable southern-tinged,good ole boy rock n' roll,with only a highlight or two to its name.PRINCE OF THE CITY and,particularly,WHISKEY RIVER,the band's opening song on their live circuit in 1990,are the clear cut in-your-face stand outs.WHISKEY RIVER delivers like a powder keg exploding in your brain.RHYTHM OF ACTION,the first "single" and video from this album,is the only other cut really worth mentioning here.RHYTHM has a very nice groove and overall tone to it,and can get a crowd on its feet and moving. Although the rest of the disc possesses a great amount of integrity,for lack of a better word,in terms of musical ability,it never quite seals the deal and makes you want to give any of the other tracks a second listen.Perhaps,if this band would have transplanted themselves from the laid back cornfields of Indiana and into the heart of the dirty city,to garner writing inspiration early in their career,we would have found ourselves with a disc that stood the test of time.But,I'm afraid,it's not to be here.