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 It's
hard to say whether or not Damone is a label creation. They are, in fact,
on Island records, and their choreographed Johnny Thunders meets Sebastian
Bach looks might lend one to think that way. When I saw the band live in
Cleveland I could've swore bassist Vazquez had raided the closets of Kevin
DuBrow and Lemmy and threw on a bandanna for kicks.
But reports have suggested the contrary, and that's pretty believable
considering the band had put out two EPs before this and the fact that
their the most marketable thing I've seen in the mainstream rock scene in
some time. They have the songs to back it up too. Apparently, frontwoman
Noell joined a group of 80s rock nostalgists when she was only
18-years-old and supplied the punch to bring the group full circle. On
"Out Here All Night," the Boston-based quartet do plenty of rocking with a
gaggle of pop sensibility. Truly, there isn't a track on here that
couldn't be a radio smash given the right backing. "Now is the Time,"
opens with some serious Savatage-style riffing then quickly switches to a
Go-Go's style verse, builds into an anthemic Joan Jett chorus before
eventually indulging us with plenty of arena-rock, guitar-wanking leads.
That's pretty much the formula for the album. The title track seethes of
Skid Row. "Stabbed in the Heart" is the group's lighter in the air tune.
Perhaps the best (and catchiest) track on here is "On Your Speakers." At
no time does Damone attempt to bog down the listener with any true words
of wisdom or wit. It's all pretty much forget your troubles put on your
Chucks grab a drink and get down the show sort of stuff. Sure, there's
some stories involved, but singing "Whoa-ohs" and pumping your fist in the
air you surely won't or care to notice. They close the album with an
acoustic rendition of Iron Maiden's "Wasted Years." Not really necessary,
but an interesting take on the track, and if you had any questions about
what music influences this band that pretty much throws it in your face.
It'll be interesting to see what happens with the group and if they sell
enough to stay in the majors. They follow a long list of failed attempts (Halfcocked,
Beautiful Creatures, Buckcherry, Butch Walker to name a few). They're
definitely as good if not better that those efforts. We'll soon find out.
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