Vanity Blvd – Wicked Temptation
VANITY BLVD
WICKED TEMPTATION
Released February 8, 2014 (Noisehead Records)
Track List:
01. Dirty Rat
02. Miss Dangerous
03. Do Or Die
04. Hot Teaser
05. Had Enough
06. Soulshaker
07. Scream Out
08. Thrills In The Night
09. Falling Down
10. Desperate Heart
11. Dirty Action
Band Members:
Anna Savage – vocals
Traci Trexx – guitar
Pete Ash – bass
Jens Gebb – drums
Production:
Produced by Nicko DiMarino. Mastered by Jonas Kjellgren.
Review:
Sweden knows how to rock. They’ve exported some of rock’s finest over the years and Vanity BLVD is no exception.
In Vanity BLVD‘s eight years the Swedish music landscape has changed dramatically. They’ve staved off trends and sustained more line-up changes than Spinal Tap, but have survived by trusting in good ole fashioned rock n’ roll, filtered by front woman Anna Savage‘s relentless determination and no-holds-barred world-view.
Injecting their debut into Sweden’s underground vein, circa 2008, Rock N Roll Overdose paved the way for a hazy reception and little more than a cult following. In contrast to that release, fuelled by a healthy dose of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll, Savage‘s lyrics haven’t changed a bit on sophomore effort Wicked Temptation, and never has her band sounded so fired-up.
Flirting casually between Eurovision pop and glittering glam rock, Wicked Temptation is damn catchy stuff — and although a couple of tracks aren’t up to scratch, for the most part they destroy everything they aim at. Guitarist Traci Trexx is the driving force behind opener “Dirty Rat”, his Jimi Hendrix tinged riffs are a lesson in themselves of how to rock it like a pro. In true anthemic fashion, proceeding single “Do Or Die” takes the amps up to 11 and chugs along at an unstoppable pace. It’s well crafted with classic, heavy solos and catchy commercial hooks that could best represent Sweden at the Eurovision. Elsewhere, unleashing her inner seductive temptress, Miss Savage recalls the likes of Lita Ford at her best on “Hot Teaser” and croons, “Tastes so good, feels so wrong, what the hell have you done? I’m mad about hot teaser.”
A glittering effort doused in straight up rock ‘n’ roll, this collection of songs is a lesson in how to grow up gracefully, without sacrificing the primitive of youth. These Swedish glamsters might not get the commercial kudos that their Nordic predecessors relish (such as Reckless Love, Crashdiet and Michael Monroe) but it’s never too late to resist the temptation and join the cult.
www.vanityblvd.com – www.facebook.com/VanityBLVD – www.noiseheadrecords.com
Reviewed by Gemma-Louise Johnson for Sleaze Roxx, February 2014
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