Andi Deris & Bad Bankers - Million Dollar Haircuts on Ten Cent Heads

Andi Deris & Bad Bankers Million Dollar Haircuts on Ten Cent Heads cover
Andi Deris & Bad Bankers
Million Dollar Haircuts on Ten Cent Heads
earMusic
2013
5
Who would have thought that Andi Deris would be back after 14 years (!!!) with a new solo album. Well, to be precise not so much of a solo since these days Andi is playing with three young guys (Bad Bankers) he found on Tenerife (part of the Canary Islands) where he lives. So, this, to be correct, is Andi’s side-project where he tries different stuff that he cannot play with Helloween. More like a liberation music project for his suppressed creativity.
 
Lyrically, as Andi says this album deals with all those shitmen, managers, bankers, politicians (?) who are responsible for this shit we go through these days. I kinda like a “voice crying in the wilderness”… it is strange enough though for an artist who has made a fortune out of music and his album has been released through a major label, with managers, bankers etc.!!!
 
Musically, Andi and his Bankers are into hard rock music with various other rock, modern, metal elements here and there. It hasn’t got that much to do with “Come in From the Rain” (1997) & “Done by Mirrors” (1999), his previous solo works. Only “Enamoria” & “This Could Go One Forever”, which are the finest moments here, reminded me a bit of his solo albums. The production is quite powerful & modern. Good in general but I somehow feel that the drums are a tad high in the mix.
 
At the end of the day “Million Dollar Haircuts on Ten Cent Heads” leaves much to be desired. Probably, its modern direction, the forgettable melodies or the generic songwriting… in any way, but for Andi Deris, this album would never have made it to a major label or to the big magz in Europe and US. Then again, it ain’t that terrible… but it is destined to be overlooked after a few spins…