Album Review – Warrant – Louder Harder Faster – Frontiers Music srl

Album Review – Warrant – Louder Harder Faster – Frontiers Music srl
May 5, 2017 | By More

Artist – Warrant
Album Title – Louder Harder Faster
Label – Frontiers Music srl
Release Date – May 12, 2017

TRACK LISTING:

01. Louder Harder Faster
02. Devil Dancer
03. Perfect
04. Only Broken Heart
05. U In My Life
06. Music Man
07. Faded
08. New Rebellion
09. Big Sandy
10. Choose Your Fate
11. Let It Go
12. I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink (bonus track available on CD only)

Producer – Jeff Pilson
Mixed by Pat Regan
“I Think I’ll Just Stay Here And Drink” mixed by Chris “The Wizard” Collier

WARRANT IS:
Robert Mason – Lead Vocals, Guitars and Piano
Joey Allen – Guitars
Erik Turner – Guitars and Vocals
Jerry Dixon – Bass and Vocals
Steven Sweet – Drums, Percussion and Vocals

Those Down Boys are back with their tenth studio album, simply titled ‘Louder Harder Faster’. Due in stores on May 12th! The follow-up to 2011’s ‘Rockaholic’. It is their second album with Frontiers Music srl and second album with former Lynch Mob and Cry Of Love vocalist Robert Mason behind the mic. ‘Louder Harder Faster’ is a really bold title. Can it live up to such a title?

We are off to a great start with the title track. It doesn’t beat around the bush, okay maybe there is some bush involved! 😉 Slamming directly into overdrive, no rev’ing up, no time to build up RPM’s, just slam the pedal to the metal melodic hard rock with a shot of nitrous! It is an apparent mission statement that crosses the finish line in under three minutes. Strap your ass in, grip the wheel, watch your knuckles turn white and hold on tight for one helluva anthemic party kick-off! Blazing fretwork, frenetic rhythms and tire screechin’ vocals are the perfect soundtrack to kickstart a weekend road trip to go see one of the Sunset Strip’s finest exports throw down a party you won’t soon forget! The accompanying music video captures the band in its nature element and captures the vibe of the song perfectly!

WARRANT ‘Louder Harder Faster’ (Official Music Video)

Like with any memorable road trip, it’s full of hills, valley’s and curves. Speaking of curves, the band stops off at a local body shop for some libations and to make it rain on a luscious ‘Devil Dancer’. A tale of the hazards that await the soul of one who lusts after a local Lolita. ‘Devil Dancer’ is a sinful groove that will leave the listener thursting for more.

Track #3 opens with a beautifully melodic emotive run on the fretboard before Robert’s effect-layered vocal kicks in. ‘Perfect’ takes me back to his vocals on 1992’s self-titled Lynch Mob album. A strong melodic song in every sense of the description.

Nice to see the mythic Jimmy re-appear on Warrant’s ‘Only Broken Heart’. Jimmy is a name that Warrant fans have been hearing since at least 1987 in the form of a demo simply titled ‘Jimmy’. Warrant never put it on an album. Maybe one day they will release it as a prequel to ‘Only Broken Heart’ then complete the trilogy on their next studio album which hopefully doesn’t take six years like the gap between ‘Rockaholic’ and the forthcoming ‘Louder Harder Faster’!!!

I’m not going to lie, when I saw the press release for their forthcoming album, ‘Louder Harder Faster’ due May 12th on Frontiers Music srl. I figured ‘Only Broken Heart’ was a sappy ballad. WRONG….this tune fuckin’ ROCKS!!! Clocking in at just under five minutes, ‘Only Broken Heart’ is a rockin’ lil’ ditty featuring Robert Mason singing full-throttle for most of the track. You can hear the influence Thin Lizzy has had on the band.

I really digg the frenetic pace of the song, the main heavy riffage supplied by Joey Allen along with some bluesy melodic guitar leads. The breakdown prior to the blazin’ solo is a nice touch that gives the listener a chance to catch their breath.

Erik Turner, in my opinion is one of the most underrated rhythm guitarists in the biz, he is always playing for the song but when he steps out for a solo, watch out. Both Erik and Joey have been constantly dogged throughout their career due to a former producers’ choices but the solo Joey lays down here shows the criticism in unwarranted!

Actually, throughout their career, Warrant has never gotten their just due. It just goes to show how fucking stupid most critics are but, off my honest fanboy soapbox and back to the task at hand. Steven and Jerry really lock in a tight groove here on ‘Only Broken Heart’. Don’t forget to digg on those sweet sultry harmonious background vocals!

‘U In My Life’…..WOW! Usually, within a minute of a ballad, I am either wanting to vomit or skipping to the next track, often times both! Not so with this masterpiece! Very few artists in the hard rock genre of the past thirty years can craft a good ballad lyrically and musically. Jani Lane, Richie Kotzen, John Corabi, Tom Keifer and Robert Mason are my exceptions. Bret Michaels and Jon Bon Jovi should pay attention to those artists and take notes!

‘U In My Life’ lives up to the high standard of ballads in Warrant’s catalog. Hooked from the first piano note that came through the speakers. I’m a sucker for some well-played piano thanks to my Mom raising me within earshot of Floyd Cramer LP’s as well as the likes of Elton John, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and others. Floyd Cramer will always be the king of the ivories in my book thanks to his velvet touch!

Everything from the vocals, piano, guitar, bass and percussion fit the mood of the lyrics perfectly! Wait until you feast your eyes upon Robert’s bluesy guitar solo. Tasty! I love how the last part of the song builds in intensity to a crescendo than fades out. A tip off the hat to Robert and Joe West for writing such a gorgeous composition! If this song makes it into their live set, rest assured the venue will be ablaze in Bic lighters!

We’ve reached the midway point on this rockin’ road trip. To my ears, it seems we’ve happened upon the next chapter in the story that started with ‘Dusty’s Revenge’ from 2011’s Rockaholic in ‘Music Man’. One could say that these two songs would fit well as part of a trilogy with ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’!

If so, it has a big legacy to uphold as ‘Dusty’s Revenge’ is hands down my favorite from Warrant’s last album and ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ is a defining song in their catalog. Started out with some rustic resonator that serves as a fitting introduction to a searing rocker that is lyrically visual. Now that Warrant have added ‘Dusty’s Revenge’ into their set, I think it’d be really cool to include this mythic trilogy in reverse into their set. ‘Faded’ is a melodic rocker with a nice pop sheen to it. The rhythmic vocal approach to the first verse gives way to a multi-layered chorus that sees Warrant’s secret harmony weapon, Steven Sweet shining in a role he’s never received his just due for. Kudos to Joey for his hummable and memorable leads.

Fans of Warrant’s heavier material will rejoice at the conclusion of ‘New Rebellion’. Balls to the wall from the get-go, it never lets up. Complete with gang chant vocals, it tells a tale of not putting up with shit and standing up for one’s self. Certainly, not a new concept but this is well executed one. The aggression here is contagious and leaves one feeling inspired to put an end to whatever is keeping them from total happiness. ‘Big Sandy’ keeps up the pace but in a more melodic and lustful way. The rhythm section of Jerry Dixon on bass and drummer Steven Sweet steamroll a path for the twin guitar attack of Joey Allen & Erik Turner. An audio onslaught the likes of the one the US Troops laid on the Highway of Death that ran from Kuwait City to the border town of Safwan in Iraq and then on to the Iraqi city of Basra at the end of Operation Desert Storm.

We all know someone who ‘Choose Your Fate’ could be about. Hell, it could have been written about my state-of-mind over the past year. Many times I found myself awash in my own pity party and it took those near-and-dear to me to slap me with some realistic words of truth to get me to pull my head out of my ass & count my blessings. An inspiring uptempo rocker with a mighty mean riff blasting out their Hughes & Kettner’s! The solo is a screamer, short and sweet but packs a mighty wallop!

‘Let It Go’ is rhythmically crunchy with some melodic guitars atop it. A tune from an experience perspective about moving on from an unhealthy relationship and knowing you deserve better. Another brief solo that indulges your eardrums without being overindulgent for Joey’s skills as a guitarist, a nice touch!

With that we’ve reached the end of our journey…..or have we, if you splurged for the “Premium Fuel” and bought then you are treated to a few extra miles-per-gallon with Warrant’s new party anthem. ‘I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink’is a bonus track available on the CD only. Wait a minute, what the hell is Warrant doing covering such a Country Music classic? For one, Professional Bull Riders, Inc. approached the band, “During the 2016 PBR World Finals, we were fortunate to have Warrant headline Saturday night in Toshiba Plaza, and they put on an incredible show for our fans, said Sean Gleason, the CEO of PBR in a statement. “When we found out the band are PBR fans, we jumped at the chance to work together on a custom music project and to make them a featured act during the 2017 season.” The song serves as the organization’s new party anthem and what a party anthem it is. Just listen, it makes sense as they made it their own and if there is anything that Warrant is known for, it is supplying party anthems.

Th-Th-The, Th-Th-The, Th-Th… That’s all, folks! In concluding, ‘Louder Harder Faster’ feels like a more solid album than 2011’s ‘Rockaholic’. It flows better and shows the growth within the band. That can only come from experience and that’s what nine years as one unit will bring you. All the things I have come to know and love about Warrant since 1989 are there. Great lyrics, hummable melodies, catchy choruses, stellar voices, amazing harmonies, fantastic fretwork, and a rock-solid rhythm section. Robert Mason has given the band a shot in the arm and a sense of stability that at times has been missing. ‘Louder Harder Faster’ is the next logical step in the bands recording evolution but the live show is where it’s at. It’s summer time so go see them live but make sure to BUY a copy of this album to provide one helluva soundtrack as you head to the venue! Crank it…….

WARRANT ‘I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink’ (Official Music Video)

WARRANT ‘Only Broken Heart’ (Official Audio)

Check out WARRANT online here….

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WARRANT Official Spotify:

Pre-order ‘LOUDER HARDER FASTER’ due May 12th on Frontiers Music srl at these locations…..

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