Dirty Looks Slave to the Machine
by Ken Mac Vicar
Staff Writer
In retrospect, what so many consider the golden age of metal, that period between 1981 and 1989, was in reality a double-edged sword. While it brought metal to the masses, it also ultimately diluted the genre to power ballads and big hair. Though the proliferation of metal allowed bands like Firehouse, Saigon Kick and Giant to score top-40 hits with radio friendly lite metal, it also prevented many harder blues-based bands from finding a place in the MTV fueled craze. Dirty Looks is one such band who got lost in that shuffle, much like the now most famous band to have never made the big time, Anvil.
Dirty Looks formed in San Francisco back in 1985 and certainly share common influences with other Frisco alumni like Metallica and Dave Mustaine. They were signed to a major label deal in 1987 based on the success of their two indie releases, and went on to release five major label albums between 1988 and 1996. Slave to the Machine was originally released on Sony in late 1996 and was just issued as a re-master this year, including two bonus live tracks, one original and one cover.
The band and its fans seem to prefer the term “sleaze rock”, however comparisons to AC/DC (even the band’s European website cites the Aussies quite frequently) and Cinderella are inevitable due to the vocal style of lead singer Henrik Ostergard. Dirty Looks however, is much more than this and to pigeon hole them as simply an AC/DC or Cinderella knock- off would be to do them an injustice. A mix of pre de- tox Aerosmith as well as the more metallic edge of Megadeth can be heard in much of their music. Despite being a re-issue, Slave to the Machine sounds surprisingly fresh and certainly not dated like many other ’80’s reissues.
The album kicks off with the moody rocker, “A Better Way,” which opens with a dirty little riff that’s augmented by almost spoken lyrics in the verse. The song builds to a strong chorus highlighted by Ostergard’s whiskey-fueled voice over some simple but effective soloing. It alternates effectively between the big chorus and the remainder of the song using the opening riff in the bridge from the solo. The album kicks in to high gear on the second track, “JawBreaker”, an up-tempo rocker with a great groove and infectious main riff. The verse is rattled off in machine gun like fashion over a steady rhythm and slows only to deliver the payoff in the chorus. The pre-chorus will have the listener singing along in no time. The in your face vocals and rhythm playing introduce “The Hole,” whose effective harmonies play nicely off the down and dirty riffing. The song is capped by some outstanding guitar work and some very effective interplay between the vocals and guitar. The high octane pace is kicked up even more on the quick hitting “Quite So High” which barely lets the listener catch their breath. It’s a good companion piece to “Hole”, and is built around the band’s solid rhythm section and Ostergard’s Tom Keifer-like vocals. The bad slows down it down nicely for the aptly named “Murder for Money” which is built around a haunting riff that spirals through the tune.
The respite is quick as the band plows into “The Rotten Kind” with it Megadeth like main riff and vocals. This main riff is juxtaposed quite nicely by the almost poppy chorus and some excellent guitar work that leads back into a full blown balls-out post chorus verse. The band displays some welcome versatility on the next few tracks by slowing things down and creating some different musical textures and subtleties. “Getting Even” highlights the band’s rhythm section as they lay down an almost funky locomotive type rhythm. Ostergards’s growling vocals work to perfection on this song due to the underlying darkness of the main riff.
The band maintains that locomotive type feel with “Better off Dead,” a mid-tempo rocker that builds on the dark vibe of “Getting Even” The song is highlighted by some great solo work and is quite accessible despite its dark feel. The band descends further down that dark spiral with “Feelings of Dread” an almost industrial like rocker that would feel right at home on a Tool album. The song is built around a driving riff that’s layered under a truly angry and dark vocal performance. The band falls back into its comfortably familiar sleazy territory with “Anesthesia”, a great fist pumping rocker with just some fantastic rhythm guitar work
The album closes with three fantastic tracks, all done in a bit more restrained style than the rest of the album. All three are full of strong melodies built over riff laden verses, all tightly held together by the superb rhythm section Kicking off this triumvirate and a definite highlight of the album is the riff laden “ Last Crack”, with its sing along chorus and outstanding vocals. It’s definitely one of the more commercial tracks on the album, and harkens the best work of Skid Row off Slave to the Grind.
“Slave in The Machine” takes the momentum of “Last Crack” and kicks the album into overdrive. The track is driven by great mid-tempo rhythm work and a driving guitar which should keep all the air guitar players out there banging away. The album closes with “Droperidol” a song that’s all drums, guitars and snarling attitude, with a chorus that’s fantastically melodic without losing the edginess of the song. A great closer, it will leave you wanting more.
Bottom Line: Dirty Looks is worth a second look and listen.
Label: Perris Records
Track Listing
1) A Better Way
2) Jaw Breaker
3) The Hole
4) Quite So High
5) It’s Gonna Be Alright(Live)
6) Murder for MOney
7) The Rotten Kind
8 Getting Even
9) Better off Dead
10) Feelings of Dread
11) Anesthesia(Live)
12) Let There Be Rock
13) Last Crack
14) Slave in the Machine
15) Droperidol
Available at Dirty Looks official and Perris Records
HRH Rating 7.5 out of 10