If you’re a long time fan then a new Hardcore Superstar album is always a welcome addition to the year, let’s face it they never disappoint do they? The only thing fans normally find themselves debating is the balance of sleaze, aggression and poppier elements and here I can safely say all of that usual mix is present and correct, though this album is rater slicker and more polished than some have been in the past.
So here we are 11 albums into a career spanning 21 years and a recent second visit to Australia under their belts it’s safe to say that the band is in fine form. Starting out with the rather lavish and somewhat experimental rabble-rouser ‘ADHD’ there’s an immediate clean sounding hit of vocals before the rather wild and frenetic refrain kicks in. ‘Electric Rider’ that follows is a little less experimental and delivers the goods with a verse that has Joakim sounding rather like Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler before a slicker chorus that has more in common with bands like Eclipse, H.E.A.T. or even more melodic exponents of modern hard rock.
If anything ‘Sanctuary’ is even better, soother and groovier, again with that hit of Tyler, but here muddled with a shot of Axl before that familiar clean, crisp and addictive chorus. Just when you think that they can’t possibly keep up the rather lofty standards of composition in drops ‘Hit Me Where It Hurts’ another rocker that makes you think of Aerosmith transposed from Boston to the Sunset Strip. Indeed to these ears at least this album manages to evoke both the vintage groove of a ‘Rocks’ to ‘Rock in a Hard place’ Aerosmith with the groove and sway of the late 80’s Los Angeles rock scene.
‘YCKMRNR’, which is of course shorthand for ‘You Can’t Kill My Rock N Roll’ is resolute and huge, an anthem that rings out with an almost dance-like beat that screams of clear blue skies and has the fist reaching for the roof.
And it keeps coming at you, so you better prepare yourself for the party – ‘The Others’ adds a dab of grind and groove that hits the spot though I’m not entirely sure the extended outtro added too much to the pot; whilst ‘Have Mercy on Me’ cranks up the party again with a huge chorus and ‘Never cared For Snobbery’ injects another shot of Jack right into the ears.
And the album goes out with not just one but several bangs. There’s maybe the best track here up next with ‘Baboon’ the song that Joakim let us in on in a recent interview which I think is the sort of song that really shouts out why this kind of music still appeals so much to me a million years after the Sunset Strip started to fade. This is music that had no regard higher than giving you a great night out and a way out of the daily grind: and that is probably even more important today than it was back in the day.
The next ‘bang’ is ‘Bring the House down’ a sure fire soon to be live favourite; the funky ‘Medicine Man’ and the showpiece closer ‘Goodbye’ that brings the curtain down nicely on what must surely be one of HCSS’s best yet.
If you love HCSS already you will love this one. 11 albums in the energy is still there, the song-writing is as in your face as it ever was, the huge choruses are present and correct and the guitar makes you want to jump out of your chair and race down to the nearest rock cub and demand they immediately put this on. Music should be a celebration of everything you love and believe e there is more than enough to love here… If you haven’t heard the band yet then pick this up and see what has been missing from your life!
