Ambush – Ambush

AMBUSH
AMBUSH
Released 1989, 2004 (Incubus Records)

Track List:
01. S.O.S.
02. I’m On Fire
03. On Your Knees
04. Still In Love With You
05. Play Ruff
06. Dreams
07. Nowhere In Site
08. You And Me
09. The Whip (bonus track)
10. To The Top (bonus track)

Band:
Steve Russo – lead vocals and guitar
Rob Sassa – lead guitar, keyboards and vocals
Bill Millard – bass and vocals
Sal Flamma – drums

Additional Musicians:
Gabe Guaciaro – background vocals
Tom Hollenden – keyboards

Production:
Produced and engineered by Bob Lease, Tom Hollenden, Al Demier, Steve Russo and Rob Sassa.

Review:
Welcome to the world of poorly produced 80’s metal. This disc brings up an interesting question for me – did bands such as Ambush fail due to the amateur production or were groups like this just too generic to begin with? Listening to this album today (it was re-released in 2004) it has a certain charm about it (although people will either love or hate the vocals). But if I first heard Ambush back in 1989 would there have been enough here to separate them from thousands of other hair bands, or am I just enjoying them today because current rock radio induces vomiting? I don’t have the answers to those questions, but I’m guessing it is a bit of both.

  This was one of those albums that the more I listened the more I enjoyed it. Musically the guys remind me of a poor man’s version of Motley Crue, with a dose of early Great White, while the vocals have that typical late 80’s Sunset Strip whine to them. Songs like “I’m On Fire”, “On Your Knees”, “Play Ruff” and “You And Me” are pretty damn cool – and even a mediocre song like “Nowhere In Site” has a nice groove. Being from 1989, you know that this disc is going to be infested with guitar solos, and it doesn’t let down at all.

  The reissue also includes a couple of unreleased demo bonus tracks, with “The Whip” being the better of the two. Ambush definitely knows how to construct a catchy and hook-laden song, it’s just too bad the production flat out sucks. You can purchase this CD, and their more image driven later albums, at either www.ambushroxx.com or www.ambushmusic.net.

Reviewed by Skid for Sleaze Roxx, January 2006.

Buy The CD:
Purchase at eBay.com