The Sex Maniacs "Mean as Hell" CD
[Manic Ride]
This UK hardcore/punk act features three members of Voorhees teamed with one member of The Horror to bring you a concise 22-minute offering of fuckin' rock 'n' roll fury. Expect tons of rocked out chord progressions with a hardcore/punk bite, rugged blues-based leads, straight yelling vocals, and of course an intensely witty/bitter attitude. "Sabretooth" is a little slower and more of an all out rock track (not to mention one of two cuts that actually tops two minutes), "Four Big Dicks" has a bit more of an angry punch to the rhythms, the aptly titled "Prick" runs a pissed 54 seconds, and "Illegal Libido" opens with a chord progression that damn sure reminds me of AC/DC! Not bad, not bad. They cover "You'll Never Learn" by Out Cold as well. The recording is expectedly dirty and a little raw, but the bass tone really thickens things up and pounds away in the center, the percussion is totally natural, and the mix is strong. I don't really mind anything about it. I might like to hear more definition to the bass as opposed to so much thick density, but everything sounds good to me. For this style it's just about perfect. They've definitely nailed a good guitar tone that's neither heavy nor gritty - it's warm and effective. The layout's all done in black, white, and tons of bright pink with one blurry band photo, silhouettes of strippers, and tons of wild lyrics that make little sense, coming off more like cock rock lyrics at times. "Smoke rise up, baby feel the flames. My temperature's rising, she wants to play some games. One hundred degrees, hot in the shade. Sweet little baby, I just got paid..." I'm not sure what to say about that!? I'm amused, I'll say that much! Overall this is a raging disc that suffers only from being slightly one-sided without a great deal of truly memorable tracks, but I highly appreciate the energy and attitude, so I'm definitely into it. I mean, shit, they have a song called "Time to Rock"! Do the fucking math! (7/10)
Running time - 21:43, Tracks: 12
[Notable tracks: Dollar$, Four Big Dicks, Illegal Libido]
Manic Ride Records - http://www.manicriderecords.com

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