Mad Margritt
Animal Perris Records

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Comments: Sooner or later, Hair/Glam/Arena metal is going to be all the rage again. And when that happens, the folks at Perris Records are going to be billionaires. With their insane roster rife with '80s-styled hard rock (Dirty Looks, Helix, Funny Money, Adrenaline Factor, etc.), they have continually pumped out high quality, headbanging releases, and another Perris Records' band, Mad Margritt, is as good as all of them.

The Atlanta-based band's fifth LP is titled Animal, and it's a brief (eight songs, 27 minutes) yet forceful declaration that the mainstream is about to get ravaged, with only bloody clumps of mainstream rock offal left in their wake.

The CD opens with a weird, somewhat unnecessary "instrumental" called "Extreme Osculation." The first real song is the title track, "Animal." If you dig Slave to the Grind-era Skid Row, the chunky and honed guitar riffs will remind you of that masterpiece. In a recent interview with Hardrock Haven, lead singer Eddie Smith admitted that the band went in a rawer, heavier direction this time out, to mirror the unrestrained energy of their live shows. With the slamming bass and pummeling drums, along with the searing guitar solo from Scott Banks and Smith's screams, they certainly caged that demon thus far.

"Looking in From the Outside" begins with an Ozzy Osbourne type groove, then gets propelled into sleazier, raunchier arena. Drummer Danny Belli pulls the plow on this track, and it's a simplistic and catchy rocker. Smith puts an edge to his voice, and really shows off his range at times too. The dude can howl …

"Loaded Gun" is their first single. It sounds a bit like Black 'N Blue, especially when Smith sings in his lower range. You will hear Zakk Wylde type guitar leads between the choruses, and "pumped like Barry Bonds" is about the best adjective to explain the overall feel of the track.

You can't say the guys don't have a sense of humor, either. The blunt "I Don't Think I Love You" definitely sounds like the poppier Mad Margritt, sort of like if Bon Jovi had a set of balls, or even one. It flaunts a huge chorus that could have benefited from stronger backing vocals, and it's all just a musical jab to the jaw.

The only time on the CD they slow it down is on "Ruling Me." Now, this isn't a ballad, but sort of a mid-tempo rocker honed to an '80s pop rock point. This is definitely the most radio friendly song on the release, if radio ever played good music. The best part about the song is that it shows Mad Margritt is much more than a one-trick Clydesdale.

Animal is just another adrenaline-fueled release in the Hair/Glam metal market, a market that refuses to die and continues to brazenly claw its way back to prominence. Mad Margritt is one of the many bands that are contributing to the resurgent trend, so do your part and snag this CD today.

www.perrrisrecords.com
www.madmargritt.com

Track listing:
1. Extreme Osculation
2. Animal
3. Looking In From The Outside
4. Don't Say A Word
5. Loaded Gun
6. I Don't Think I Love You
7. Ruling Me
8. Time

HRH rating: 7.8/10