Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Hardcore Superstar - ST - 2005 - Gain Records

Track ListingKick On The Upperclass Bag On Your Head Last Forever Shes Offbeat We Dont Celebrate Sundays Hateful Wild Boys My Good Reputation Cry Your Eyes Out Simple Man Blood On Me Standin On The Verge

Many of the old guard hair metal bands from the 80s are still kicking about over twenty years later showing up on reality TV and occasionally hitting the smaller venues to draw out the fans who view that musical period with nostalgia and relevance. Some of those bands are still putting out sporadic records, but the fire of youthful exuberance is expectedly quite quenched and the fans that are hoping for a return to radio rule and video dominance are sure to be letdown by their wishful thinking.

Coming from the Gothenburg home of melodic death/thrash metal, Sweden's Hardcore Superstar may look like a gypsy-goth, cast-off collection of Motley Crue, Aerosmith and L.A. Guns, but their chops are apparent as catchy riffs and shout choruses cascade through "Kick On The Upperclass", "She's Offbeat", "Wild Boys", the infectious "We Don't Celebrate Sunday's" and the politically incorrect "Bag on your Head". Other than some vacuous lyrical content there's a lot of attitude and fun on "Hardcore Superstar" which also includes the introspective tune and the stalwart power ballad.

Party rock continues to live on, but to better locate the sleazy glam that spilled into our living rooms so abundantly decades ago, we must open our ears to farther vistas than the Sunset Strip. Europe's hard rock revival is currently a great place to start.


Rating: 4 of 5


--Nailer 07.06.07