SOUTHGANG — Group Therapy (review)

SOUTHGANG — Group Therapy album cover Album · 1992 · Glam Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Stephen
Southgang is a Georgia-born glam act, probably unknown to many, but if you have seen one of their video of "Tainted Angel" in 1991, you'll recognize them as a band with a sleaze metal attitude that simultaneously painted with pop and southern influences. "Group Therapy" is their second effort, and as grunge has taken over the chart and media, Southgang was vanished quickly.

While "Group" stands between mediocre and above average, they have a pack of good songs even though none of them are really memorable that you can remember a single line after 10 years not playing the disc. "Tug of War", a decent funky-groove glam tune, is probably the only song you stumbled years ago on a radio, or maybe "Fire In Your Body", their other single which is a mid-tempo commercial light rock. Jesse Harte's voice is safely comparable to Firehouse's CJ Snare or Mark Slaughter, only sometimes Harte can really squeal like a painful cat felt from a three storeys motel.

Butch Walker, the axeman with tons of talents, which later on became a successful producer and songwriter famous for spawning hits for Avril Lavigne, Fall Out Boy, SR-71, and many others, is the spotlight of the disc. Check out the Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" dancy riffs on the sleazy opener "White Trash With Cash", or the lazy laid back bluesy pick of "The Call" that could made you forget you have drained five glasses of beer at the bar, but "Ode To Peggy's" is his finest moment, a good ol times rock n roll piece with a fabulous solos.

The good thing about this album is that even though nothing's really glow blindingly here except "Misery", an in-your-face true hard rock with beautiful harmonic chorus, the diamond of the album and my most fave one, actually none of them are horrible. Other songs like "Legend of C.C.Road" and "Culture Clash City" is quite a fun ride, and even the power ballad attempt of "My Best Friend's Girl" is unexpectedly good. Fans of early glam metal would find it hard to appreciate this as this is barely heavy at all, but if you can accept a good mix of blues, country, raw rock and roll, and pop metal into one big sleaze bucket, "Group Therapy" fits nicely into your library.
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