Kill Cheerleader

Two years and as many name alterations/member changes later, Toronto’s Kill Cheerleader are finally able to commit All Hail to light. Attacking glam rock from the bitter, take-what-you-can-get/dirty angle as instigated by Mötley Crüe but perfected by the likes of Turbonegro, Kill Cheerleader still have plenty of vitriol and aggression (most likely spawned by the album’s continual delay for a plethora of mixing, mastering and recording reasons) to make All Hail an instant cut above the typified bar band mode of attack. The album — and by default, the band — feels like a case of herpes that just won’t go away, showcased via the sleaze and grind of tunes such as opener "Sell Your Soul,” "Deathboy” and "Lady of the Night.” It drags the aforementioned glam rock through the gutter and down to the sewer for a drastic beating. The reworking of previously released tracks "So Young” (formerly known as "Go”) and "Want Action” lack some of the energy and passion of their EP debut some years ago, but are no less out of place on this snotty rock’n’roll car crash.