CYANIDE 4 - Everyday Is A Masquerade (2012)

*

CYANIDE 4 started a few years ago and played the bars around Athens, Greece, gathering a small but considerable following.
They released a couple of demos and were featured in 'Reborn In Sleaze; A Tribute To Dave Lepard' last year that showed both a bit of promise as well as a flair and love for the neo-Scandi glam.
Four years since their formation, they are having their debut "Everyday Is A Masquerade" released by Perris records.

With many and more than many bands emerging from the Northern and Southern edges of Europe after the first wave of Sleaze Rock/Metal outfits like Crashdiet and Hardcore Superstar spotting the music map with their own revival sting, it would no longer be a separate flirt but more of a whole movement dedicated to what the '80s brought in this style.
And, of course, there would be noble imitators, bands that would try to distance themselves a little bit and others that would try to find a way somewhere in between, which seems to Cyanide's case.
The music in this CD goes from classic sleaze paving the Vain, Pretty Boy Floyd and Crashdiet lane but also put some claws in speedy uptempo tracks and sees some darkness lurking in between the main guitar melodies and the moody yet soaring chorus lines.

“Hide in the Shadow” opens the album and has a good hook - probably the best song here - driving by a solid rhythm and fluid guitar parts.
On the first single and promo video “Live The Life” the band reminds you '80s Vain with simple but catchy harmonies, fine riffs and a good chorus.
has a good idea, but the vocals lack conviction and command... being rather nasal and weak. The guy, could have done so much better, had he taken a couple of lessons, but… I guess, nevermind that. The instrumentation is rather spartan, and while the song could have benefited, if it was a bit faster and tighter, that ain’t the case.

“Temptation Failed” starts with a somewhat offbeat riff, and while it’s pretty catchy, the vocals lack conviction and command being rather nasal and weak.
The band turns into a really Sunset Strip sound in “Innocent Alibi”, a wimpy midtempo, followed by “Anything for Fun”, style-wise with a foot on each continent.
“Parody” starts off blasting fast and loud and shows a more hard attack, “Cyanide” sports a quite introspective sound with a cool hook, while “FFL” (fuck-face-look) is a good commercial rocker in the Shotgun Messiah vein.
“Illusion” is the ballad here, a heavy one with a fine melodic line and some keyboards in the background although a bit repetitive.
“Wasting My Time” starts off fast, and feels like you've heard it before as it shares ideas from previous tracks but is a pretty damn solid song. Actually, it's the closest thing they have to a hit – but it doesn't have a chorus, not a proper one at least.


For the most part "Every Day Is A Masquerade" will please fans of the new wave of Swedish sleaze metal and the eighties Sunset Strip scene as well.
There's good ideas and several influences at the same time, good instrumentation and a singer that has quite a few shortcoming but shows signs of improvement on certain songs.
Cyanide 4 is a young band and still needs work to cook their own personality but if we bear in mind this is their first full studio attempt the result is acceptable.
Promising new band from Greece.


01 - Hide In The Shadow
02 - Live The Life
03 - Temptation Failed
04 - Innocent Alibi
05 - Anything For Fun
06 - Parody
07 - Cyanide
08 - F.F.L.
09 - Wasting My Time
10 - Illusion
11 - Bad Love Parade
12 - Amnesia
13 - Midnight Heat


G.A. Sinn: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Johnyy Slut: Lead Guitar
Nasty George: Bass
Alex Rated: Drums





BUY IT !
www.cdbaby.com/cd/cyanide4

Read more...

V.A. - Reborn In Sleaze; A Tribute To Dave Lepard (2011)

*

I am not a big fan of sleaze. But undoubtedly, regardless of the genre, Crashdiet's smash 2005 album "Rest In Sleaze" was one of the best rock releases of the past decade, with great songs, musicianship and unusual quality vocals/lyrics for this music style, brained by their leader Dave Lepard.
The news shook the entire Crashdiet and general rock fans across the globe when Lepard (real name David Hellman) was found dead on January 20th, 2006. He had committed suicide following his battle with drug addiction, resulting in a deep depression.

"Reborn In Sleaze : A Tribute To Dave Lepard" is a complete track-for-track re-creation of 'Rest In Sleaze' in tribute to Dave Lepard's legacy, performed by bands who were contemporaries of Crashdiet or who burst through the door that Crashdiet/Lepard had kicked open.
Most bands featured are relatively new to the scene and not necessary belongs to the sleazy movement, as the Italian hard 'n heavy group Midnite Sun who opens the disc with "Knokk 'Em Down". Their good version is beefed up with a much heavier musical arrangement but faithful to the original.
Next up is Speed Stroke's take on "Riot In Everyone", again very faithful to the sound of the original, but with a more melodic guitar work and a pumpin' bass.
Italian sleaze outfit Skull Daze aren't messing around with their monster cover of "Queen Obscene/69 Shots". This track dishes out unexpected surprises, because although it feels fresh, the arrangement is actually fairly close to the original and vocalist Johnny Rainbow hits notes hard, harsh and wild.

"Breakin' The Chainz" is where the magic truly kicks in on this album, and possessing the no-half-measures syndrome is Scottish sleaze-glam quartet PeepShow, who serves Lepard proud here. Johnny Gunn's vocal efforts confirm that when his band set out to do something, they do it well. This is a band set for big things in the future and Peep Show is a name to watch out for.
With a band named Superhorrorfuck covering "Needle In Your Eye", you would think that expecting something heavy would be reasonable, and you would be right. Their version is dirty and groovy -- and this is the case for Ragdolls' 'Tikket' as well. I don't like both at all.
'Tast of cyanide' is part of the chorus to the song "Out Of Line", so perhaps it comes as no surprise that Cyanide 4 takes on this song. As such, these guys turn this track into more of a straight-up hair metal song than a sleaze song, with a clean solo and smoother vocals. It is an impressive and revised contribution.

Hell In The Club takes "Straight Outta Hell" into a new dimension of sleaze, adding their own Italian metal twist -- the minor changes to the arrangement made by the band (mostly in the guitar riffs) work really well.
It's really surprisingly to see AORsters / MR Shining Line covering the original album closer "Back On Trakk". As expected, their version is melodic rock oriented with very good guitars, vocals and a melodic re-worked chorus. You almost won't recognize this as a Crashdiet song, but I don't care. I love Shining Line's (their debut album is really good) and their cover is the best on this tribute album.
As bonus, there's a Crashdiet old song, "Lost Horizons", performed by French glamsters BlackRain. They absolutely nails the feel and emotion of this ballad, melodically and sincerely. The album couldn't have ended better if it had tried -- having a tissue handy when streaming this track is a good idea. Sang in the form of Dave Lepard, vocals soar so high and so sweet that they'll pull at the heart strings of listeners for sure.


Overall, "Reborn In Sleaze : A Tribute To Dave Lepard" is a good tribute album, a nice way to remember Dave Leppard and his music, but it is also a chance for people to hear some new bands doing songs they may already be familiar with.
Some are good, some not, but that's depends on your musical tastes. And melodic rockers have an exclusive Shining Line track to collect.
Limited to just 250 numbered copies, on "Reborn In Sleaze: A Tribute To Dave Lepard" it is easy to appreciate the concept and the integrity behind the release, and after a few listens, you start to see just how much passion and effort has gone into remaking each and every single 'trakk' on this album.


01. Knokk 'Em Down (performed by Midnite Sun)
02. Riot In Everyone (performed by Speed Stroke)
03. Queen Obscene (69 Shots) (performed by Skull Daze)
04. Breakin' The Chainz (performed by Peep Show)
05. Needle In Your Eye (performed by Superhorrorfuck)
06. Tikket (performed by Ragdolls)
07. Out Of Line (performed by Cyanide 4)
08. It's A Miracle (performed by DNR)
09. Straight Outta Hell (performed by Hell In The Club)
10. Back On Trakk (performed by Shining Line)
11. Lost Horizons (performed by BlackRain) [bonus track]





BUY IT !
www.streetsymphonies.com

Read more...