by Derric Miller
– Managing Editor —
How many bands are to the point where they are putting out multiple albums per year? Well, it wasn’t too many months ago that Hardrock Haven covered Miss Crazy’s 2014 release Resurrection Hard Rock, and lo and behold … they already have a new album out! This one is called Inception, and where Resurrection Hard Rock was the heavier side of the Hard Rock coin, Inception leans a little more on the Glam, pomp and anthems that make this genre so much damn fun to crank. The band also loudly hails their inspirations on two tracks—KISS and Ozzy—but that comes later.
“Ready to Go” blasts the party off, a chugging, grooving anthem that is the kind of composition Miss Crazy always excels at. Lead singer Marcus Allen Christopher deftly weaves between his lower, somewhat sultry vocal style and his higher pitched Tom Keifer/Brian Johnson edge. The breakdown in this track will remind you of all the great ’80s hits. Miss Crazy makes it look easy …
Their first video is for the song “Love Me Hate Me.” If you’ve been a fan of the band for a while, relationships are often the theme of their songs, as far back as tracks like “Mow” or “Livin’ Without You” off of II. “Love Me Hate Me” is a more heated track, heavier, with Christopher channeling Robert Plant at times. The idea here is the demolition of a relationship, and if you hate love, this song is your best friend. (Besides booze, obviously.)
“All Canadian Man” is an homage to KISS, the Paul Stanley fronted hit “All American Man.” Anyone who knows Christopher understands he got into music because of KISS, but very few people probably knew he could clone Stanley’s vocals if called upon. This sounds almost EXACTLY like “All American Man,” sonically and vocally … it’s almost eerie.
“She Said She Loves Me” has a bit of a Firehouse groove, as far as the excellent backing harmonies, but the verses are Christopher employing his shredding vocal style again, although he carries the melody even if his voice has a serrated edge. Having three guys in the band who can play guitar allows the band to fill your head with rhythmic riffs and stellar leads and solos that make the songs sound enormous. One of the highlights on Inception for sure.
When you get to “Ozzy Osbourne,” you might wonder what to expect. But don’t worry, this is the Jake E. Lee period, as you can tell by the perfect riffs the band tears into. While Christopher pulls off a wicked homage to Ozzy vocally, his Paul Stanley is more spot on. At under three minutes, you’ll go back to this one again and again. “I am everything you need, I see you going crazy,” is the perfect chorus to a tribute to Ozzy song.
Now, the best song Miss Crazy has written or released in years is “Hail Bruce Lee.” You could find it on their release Grip, but if you haven’t heard it, they were brilliant including this song on Inception. The track is all crescendo, dark, violent, something some NFLer listens to before beating his women and children first. (See, a Van Halen reference and social commentary dissection all in one line!) “Hail Bruce Lee” is something you just need to hear; words don’t do it justice. It’s a freakin’ perfect Hard Rock construction, from the vocals to the solos to the lyrics.
Miss Crazy is and has been one of the unheralded heroes of the Hard Rock genre. They keep pumping out high quality music, they don’t take themselves seriously, and they never even release an “average” studio album. It’s high time you start paying attention to Miss Crazy; start with Inception and work your way back to their self-titled debut.
Genre: Hard Rock
Band:
Marcus Allen Christopher—guitar, lead vocals
Alan Perrault—drums
Eric Morrison—guitar, vocals
Jeff Jones—guitar, vocals
Chris Stringari—bass, vocals
Track listing:
1. Ready to Go
2. Hate Me Love Me
3. The Madness
4. All Canadian Man
5. No Love For Me
6. Said She Loves Me
7. I Wanna Be Free
8. Ozzy Osbourne
9. Feelin Good
10. Hail Bruce Lee (2014)
Label: M!ss Crazy Records
Hardrock Haven Rating: 8.4/10
