Reviews

Mad Margritt - Animal

By Stoney ⋅ January 14, 2008 ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

For over a decade Atlanta’s Mad Margritt have been keeping the flame of eighties hard rock alive, all the while showing where the music of the “spandex generation” may have ended up had it not been for those gloomy flannel wearing gen x-ers wielding guitars (and a severe shoe gazing fetish) in the early nineties. For those still pining for the days of going to a show NOT to be reminded how much the daily 9-5 sucks, how high gas prices are, or that the most controversial person in popular music today is Britney Spears…then Mad Margritt is just what you may need to help you decide to dust off that old denim vest with the huge Motley Crue patch on the back!

The band’s latest CD, entitled “Animal”, is a blistering 7 songs (8 if you count the moaning chick intro) of pure cock rock in its finest old school form. Released in the US and in most European Countries (yes Brits and Italians still buy hair metal by the truck load!) on Perris Records, Mad Margritts’ fifth and most recent release is bringing pure sleaze rock enjoyment to all who have given up hope that Skid Row will reconcile with estranged singer Sebastian Bach. But while Mad Margitt frontman Eddie Smith may look, and at times sound, like Bach he is, no pun intended, an entirely different kind of animal altogether.

Starting off with “Extreme Osculation” (say that twice, even thrice kiddies!), Eddie and the boys make it no secret that Mad Margritt have a filthy fun side. But then again if the busty blonde on the front cover doesn’t tip you off then you quite possibly have been spending too much time watching the wrong reality TV programming. (Less “Biggest Loser”, more “Rock of Love”.) These 32 seconds of erotica serve as the welcoming mat for opening/title track “Animal”, an in-your-face monster that serves up a healthy dose of rock reminiscent of something off of Skid Row’s “Slave to the Grind” album. Right off the bat Mad Margritt fans will be able to hear that this latest offering is gonna be a bit heavier and nastier than the band’s previous releases.

“Looking In From the Outside” keeps the heavy metal ball rolling along with plenty of guitar riffage for even the most dedicated air guitarist courtesy of six-string maniac Scott Banks. But it’s the deep nasty bottom end of Skip Mullis’ bass that moves this tune along. Smith delivers the monster vocals and fans will love the chanting chorus. Devils horns and fists in the air all around!

While the title “Ruling Me” might get the listener expecting even more crunch the result is actually an incredibly infectious tune that drops somewhere between Aldo Nova’s debut release and the catchiest Def Leppard tune. The chunky opening verse just grabs on and doesn’t let go until the catchy chorus latches on for good. Pure power pop metal goodness.

To say that track five caught this hard rock fan off guard would be putting it mildly. After keeping the ear to the Mad Margritt loud speaker for several years now I’d have to admit, I was not expecting to ever hear them come close to sounding like Dokken but on “Don’t Say a Word” Mad Margritt has done exactly that. Granted, they do Don and the gang justice and it’s cool to play live but let’s stick with Mad Margritt. Dokken can handle their own shtick thank you very much!

On “Loaded Gun” the guys jump back into that familiar Mad Margritt territory: Wailing lead vocals, gang-style backing vocals and head-crushing attack guitar. I defy anyone to slap this in the car stereo and not bang some head. If you can then you must be dead. Seriously.

If there’s anything over the years that I’ve enjoyed most about Mad Margritt’s original material it would have to be the band’s ability to take a rollicking piece of music and inject it with an impossible to resist chorus. “I Don’t Think I Love You” is all that and a bag of guitar picks. Even the crushing sound of drummer (and Ozzy look-a-like) Danny Belli’s kick drum fits in snuggly with the hook on this great track.

Mad Margritt bring it all to a close via “Time”, an edgy tune that just may be their heaviest song to date. Perhaps their most modern as well. But don’t let that “modern” word scare you because Mad Margritt has figured out how to use it and use it well. Not only does “Time” deliver everything that Mad Margritt fans have grown to love about the band, it throws in a few new tricks as well.

While Mad Madgritt has never shied away from the fact that they’ve always reached into the Sunset Boulevard past of eighties hard rock for inspiration, they have also been the first to say that they are more than just a hair band tribute act. They’ve always claimed to be a modern hard rock band that just happens to be heavily influenced by the style and sounds of their hair metal heroes. On “Animal” they prove their point.

To hear tracks from “Animal” visit them at www.myspace.com/madmargritt and for even more info check out www.madmargritt.com

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