Charm City Devils; five guys, John – Vocals, Jason – Drums, Anthony – Bass, and Nick and Vic on Guitar. Hailing from the East Coast‘s Baltimore MD, this consortium, hand-picked by Nikki Sixx to represent him by initiating his new record label “Eleven Seven Music”, have finally kick-started their professional music career with their scorcher of a debut, “LETS ROCK – N – ROLL”.

Kicking off with quite possibly the most appropriately titled song imaginable, “Lets Rock-N-Roll”, both the albums name, and the titling of the commencing song, sets forth the oath of Rock N Roll, that is elegantly fulfilled throughout. Gruff, distorted vocals echoing the Rock N Roll chant, melodically driven guitars and pounding drums, this song really offers that buzz of invigoration needed to entice any listener to further their exploration into the rest of the album. Brilliant song!

“House Fire“; a speedier, more energized follow on, to “Lets Rock-N-Roll”. Despite the norm, it is the verses which do it for me. Although the chorus has its moments, it becomes repetitive and begins to fade in excitement.
However, the vibe is recaptured with the next track, “10,000 Miles“., as more AC/DC tainted persona shines through the lyrics and tune, are these guys the real deal, or just paying homage to their heroes?

“Best Of The Worst” – the track that seized my attention from my very first encounter with the bands music. A MUST listen if you’ve never checked these guys out before! One of the only two slower songs on this album, although setting off at a somewhat casual pace, the music soon picks up displaying perfect guitars, perfect drumming, perfect vocals, perfect lyrics, leading it on to be what I consider, the crux of the crown.

After such a hype over the previous track – it may seem that no other song on the album could do it justice. As this may be so – HOWEVER, following fast in its footsteps is a “True Love (Hell Yeah)”. A vigorous, dynamic, emphatic, statement of a song, (or more of a chant). The pounding drumming in this really centres the song as a musical declaration, rather than a musical collaboration.

“Money”, another with high-powered guitar, banshee vocaled, high-octane driven track, yet it lacks that certain spark given off by some of the other tracks on the album. After listening to it on repeat several times, it begins to fade in excitement.

Nose-pinched, whiny vocals is released in “One Day”, but this song has drive. A full on party anthem, you cant help but join in during the chorus; shows their skill of turning classic rock riffs, into relevant new music.

“Almost Home”, the more emotional of the only two *ballads* on the album. One of the most promising intro’s on the album, as its opened with the playing of a small orchestra, reviving the musical element, and adding a fresh sound to the album. The autobiographical lyrics, add a further boost of personality to the poignancy embodied by the song and Allen’s voice itself is deserving of praise, both powerful yet emotive, the frontmans true potential is proven here . One of the album toppers with a vague 80‘s hair metal feel- definitely worth checking out!

“Night Is Dark”, a rather pessimistic track, with equally pessimistic lyrics. Not the deepest lyrics may I add, “Mama can you hear that baby crying, Mama can you hear that Grandma dying?” Lacks any real thought, and seemingly used as a lyric filler rather than a meaningful set of musical script. However, the song in itself is in fact much better than the empty lyrics. A heavier feel than AC/DC, this is where the band branch out to a seemingly more Mod. Motley Crue inspiration.

The closing track “Burn Baby Burn”, features yet more of that trademark distorted, as if singing down a telephone, vocal. A good thing? Yes and no – it lacks character, and the raw feeling that you’ve got all the singer has to offer. However, it works pretty well for this song, and the album in general. This song literally wears you right out, draining the energy out of you by the time its over. A somewhat captivating sound, give it a go!

Overall:- A medley of AC/DC, Blackstone Cherry and Motley Crue, these guys have a LOT of unventured potential. Far more than what they’re letting off in this album. However, i plan to follow them throughout their future career, which will undoubtedly be fruitful, and despite some of the criticism it has recieved, this is still a pounding debut full of rip-roaring debauchery and more than worthy of a listen. Well done lads, you done Nikki proud!

7.5 / 10

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