Night Laser : "Call Me What You Want"

 Catching up on some of the genres that fall outside of my normal listening these days like cock rock, hair metal, and power metal. The lines that separate these genres have grown more blurred as this German band proves. Bands like the Scorpions, Accept and Helloween all had a legitimate hard rock history before they began cranking out arena anthems. These guys are yodeling their way straight to it. Steel Panther seems a fair frame of reference sonically, there is also Guns n Roses-like swagger in what they do. Their accent put a funny twist on this, that was more subtle for Klaus Mien. 

I at least appreciate the fact that someone is still making this kind of music since it is what I grew up on. Granted my musical diet at the time was also supplemented by lots of Ozzy, Maiden, Alice Cooper, and Kiss. The guitar solos are impressive which they have to be, though the riffing to the second song reminds me a little of "Dr. Feelgood" at times. The falsetto screams more often than not hit their mark. The guitar tone leading into "No More Changes" nails the sound they are paying homage to. It does seem like a great deal of this is coming from Germany these days.  "Don't Call Me Evil" takes a marginally darker more serious tone. Lyrically the bulk of the band pumping this sort of thing out in the day was not that great so they are in line with that. 

"Law of the Vulture" shows more of their musical prowess, and gives them room to jam a little. This crosses over more into metal. On the other side of the coin "Laser Train" plays off of the sillier points of the genre that I never liked about this kind of music, think Alice Cooper covering "Unskinny Bop". Then comes the obligatory ballad that is their "Every Rose Has Its Thorn". There is a more metal leaning to "Captain Punishment".  Halfway into the song, there is the feeling you have heard everything thing they are going to do with it. The last song takes a more folk metal direction, in its power balladry. I will give this album an 8.5, as it is a great deal of fun. 

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