What kind of world is this in which we all snicker and roll our eyes when bands like Dokken release a new album, yet there is a significant amount of buzz over High Spirits, who are basically just aping Dokken? At least it shows that even if we're embarrassed to fully admit and embrace it, we all love melodic '80s hard rock/metal. The fact that this is being released by quality underground extremity pushers Hell's Headbangers further confounds and confuses, but, hey, the cock-rock ain't half bad: opener "When the Lights Go Down" sounds like a band opening up for the Dokken/Kix double-reunion tour at the local tavern, with all the young-pup exuberance and energy that you could hope for.
Mid-tempo chuggers up the drama a bit, as they do for all these bands: "I Need Your Love" and awesome album highlights "The Last Night" and moody "Gone to Pieces" sound like two feet moving not through a slick city street but a back alley, hoping to get some action before sneaking into the Trixter show because they blew their money at the Enuff Z'nuff gig the week before. No luck: they end up pleasuring themselves and getting turned away at the door, but, there's a Tuff gig down the road, and those doors are always open.
High Spirits aren't doing anything new, but they're paying great homage to a time and sound too many have written off. It's disposable, but fun to listen to, which counts for something.
(Hells Headbangers)Mid-tempo chuggers up the drama a bit, as they do for all these bands: "I Need Your Love" and awesome album highlights "The Last Night" and moody "Gone to Pieces" sound like two feet moving not through a slick city street but a back alley, hoping to get some action before sneaking into the Trixter show because they blew their money at the Enuff Z'nuff gig the week before. No luck: they end up pleasuring themselves and getting turned away at the door, but, there's a Tuff gig down the road, and those doors are always open.
High Spirits aren't doing anything new, but they're paying great homage to a time and sound too many have written off. It's disposable, but fun to listen to, which counts for something.
