Madam X
Monstrocity
EMP Label Group
2017
I dunno what got into Madam X to reunite and release an album some thirty three years past their sole album… with their original line up intact, no less, but… let’s backtrack a bit to jog the memory of older and introduce the band to potential younger readers.
Madam X were formed in 1982 by the Petrucci sisters, who recruited bass guitarist Chris Doliber and vocalist Bret Kaiser and then relocated to New York. They got signed to Jet Records (popular at the time) by Don Arden (Sharon Osborne’s Father) and released their debut and until recently sole album “We Reserve the Right” in 1984. Apart from the rather androgynous look the band sported on the cover, which might have been a little too much even for the era, the contents weren’t too bad actually as the band wasn’t weak, either musically or performance wise and certain songs seemed to get some airplay.
The band suffered singer woes, when Kaiser left, who was unsuccessfully replaced by British singer John Ward. In the meantime they recorded some more material, but they were dropped by Jet, which led to Ward leaving only to be replaced by unknown Canadian vocalist Sebastian Bach (who’d later leave them to join Skid Row). Roxy Petrucci also left, to join Vixen and despite the band attempting a couple of more line-ups they quickly disintegrated.
The Petrucci sisters reformed Madam X with female vocalist Lenita Erickson in 1991, but soon changed the name to Hell’s Belles to disband any way after a while. The band members reunited in 2014 for a performance at Sweden Rock and I suppose must have toyed with the idea of putting out some new (?) music; so some (thirty) three years later, they are back with a sophomore album that actually sounds a lot like the logical, if not sonically updated version of their debut. They still rock like its 1984, but the sound is much phatter these days. There’s even an updated take on “High in High School”, one of their “old” hits here, that doesn’t sound worse for wear and mingles well with their newer material.
If you liked the band’s debut or if you like balsy dirty hard/hair rock that borders on heavy metal (ie early Motley Crue etc… the American loose definition of the term) this might be right down your alley. To my surprise I enjoyed this a bit more than I expected, but I’m not too sure if enough of their old fans are still alive, or care enough, or if they’d be able to antagonize the Swedish wimpy wonders that keep on popping every other year, who are younger, sexier and have easier access to the concert hotbed that Europe is.
Madam X were formed in 1982 by the Petrucci sisters, who recruited bass guitarist Chris Doliber and vocalist Bret Kaiser and then relocated to New York. They got signed to Jet Records (popular at the time) by Don Arden (Sharon Osborne’s Father) and released their debut and until recently sole album “We Reserve the Right” in 1984. Apart from the rather androgynous look the band sported on the cover, which might have been a little too much even for the era, the contents weren’t too bad actually as the band wasn’t weak, either musically or performance wise and certain songs seemed to get some airplay.
The band suffered singer woes, when Kaiser left, who was unsuccessfully replaced by British singer John Ward. In the meantime they recorded some more material, but they were dropped by Jet, which led to Ward leaving only to be replaced by unknown Canadian vocalist Sebastian Bach (who’d later leave them to join Skid Row). Roxy Petrucci also left, to join Vixen and despite the band attempting a couple of more line-ups they quickly disintegrated.
The Petrucci sisters reformed Madam X with female vocalist Lenita Erickson in 1991, but soon changed the name to Hell’s Belles to disband any way after a while. The band members reunited in 2014 for a performance at Sweden Rock and I suppose must have toyed with the idea of putting out some new (?) music; so some (thirty) three years later, they are back with a sophomore album that actually sounds a lot like the logical, if not sonically updated version of their debut. They still rock like its 1984, but the sound is much phatter these days. There’s even an updated take on “High in High School”, one of their “old” hits here, that doesn’t sound worse for wear and mingles well with their newer material.
If you liked the band’s debut or if you like balsy dirty hard/hair rock that borders on heavy metal (ie early Motley Crue etc… the American loose definition of the term) this might be right down your alley. To my surprise I enjoyed this a bit more than I expected, but I’m not too sure if enough of their old fans are still alive, or care enough, or if they’d be able to antagonize the Swedish wimpy wonders that keep on popping every other year, who are younger, sexier and have easier access to the concert hotbed that Europe is.