Hell In The Club
Shadow of the Monster
Scarlet Records
2016
Hell In The Club are a bunch of Italians that have been around for a few years and they feature the singer of Elvenking, Davide “Dave” Moras, who’s got a slightly accented but not annoying voice, in the style of Eric Martin of Mr Big, as well as bassist Andrea “Andy” Buratto from Secret Sphere, so that sort of lends them some sort of more cred than if they were some random rookies…
This is their third album so far and they keep on becoming better and better, fine tuning the production and songwriting. It’s quite the enjoyable affair, some modern sounding hard rock with sleazy/party elements and a healthy dose of old school hair n’ roll! Not really bad, although Dave could have sounded a bit more menacing… it’s not that he lacks conviction, but he lacks a bit in punch, in really “selling” the songs. It’s a very fine little distinction without being bad, he lacks a bit of “extra” power that would really push the whole band forward and it’s a shame, because the band and the songs seem to need that extra oomph…
Certain songs like the jumpy opener “Dance!”, as well as the equally excitable “Enjoy the Ride” stand out, as does the mellower “Naked” and the also swift “Le Cirque des Horreurs”. “Try Me, Hate Me” is a bit too straightforward and way too percussive and one track to really leave its mark, as it becomes a little forgettable after the initial euphoria it induces. The album concludes with a “Money Changes Everything” by The Brains (which Cindy Lauper made a hit back in the distant 1984), which is delivered almost as a ballad, in a way that makes it possibly the “best” version of the song… imho.
If you’ve liked the band or like hard rock with a bit of a Mediterranean slant to it, you’ll probably enjoy this album, as it’s actually pretty decent… just a little uneven to wholeheartedly recommend but well worth checking out…
This is their third album so far and they keep on becoming better and better, fine tuning the production and songwriting. It’s quite the enjoyable affair, some modern sounding hard rock with sleazy/party elements and a healthy dose of old school hair n’ roll! Not really bad, although Dave could have sounded a bit more menacing… it’s not that he lacks conviction, but he lacks a bit in punch, in really “selling” the songs. It’s a very fine little distinction without being bad, he lacks a bit of “extra” power that would really push the whole band forward and it’s a shame, because the band and the songs seem to need that extra oomph…
Certain songs like the jumpy opener “Dance!”, as well as the equally excitable “Enjoy the Ride” stand out, as does the mellower “Naked” and the also swift “Le Cirque des Horreurs”. “Try Me, Hate Me” is a bit too straightforward and way too percussive and one track to really leave its mark, as it becomes a little forgettable after the initial euphoria it induces. The album concludes with a “Money Changes Everything” by The Brains (which Cindy Lauper made a hit back in the distant 1984), which is delivered almost as a ballad, in a way that makes it possibly the “best” version of the song… imho.
If you’ve liked the band or like hard rock with a bit of a Mediterranean slant to it, you’ll probably enjoy this album, as it’s actually pretty decent… just a little uneven to wholeheartedly recommend but well worth checking out…