MISS Crazy | Make America Crazy Again

by Dan Skiba
— Staff Writer —

The great thing about being a self-managed band is you can do what you do exactly the way you want. The unfortunate thing about being a self-managed band is that despite many avenues available for display, it’s still difficult to garner resources to generate band awareness towards potential fans (much less the masses). California-based M!SS CRAZY arguably tops the charts as a truly great band that does it their way (magnificently), but suffers from lack of publicity.

The band has issued a handful of releases over their 15-year lifespan, and now have released Make America Crazy Again … a clever modification of Donald Trump’s 2016 Presidential Campaign Slogan, which violates the adage “you can’t judge a book by its cover”… because in this instance, that title’s whimsical cleverness is exactly what you get with this new M!SS CRAZY release. Headed up by the immensely talented Markus Allen Christopher, the album offers 11 full-length tracks (including a short intro) that both rekindles the ‘80s Arena Rock sound and attitude and takes the sound and song structures to a new level.

Taking a few steps back to 2006 when M!SS CRAZY released their first full length record (Can’t Get Enough), the band knocked out track after track that would have been Top 40 hits had they been released 20 years earlier. By many standards, Can’t Get Enough was a true masterpiece of modern-day Hair Metal/Arena Rock … but still remains as a hidden jewel in the treasure chest of albums that too few know have been made. To Motley Crue, Cinderella, and Kiss fans who have been waiting/wondering for years if their beloved stars are ever going to be capable of recapturing that magic that made these bands so special in the studio … let it be known that giving M!SS CRAZY a listen may indeed fill the vacuous gap that you may have conceded would simply exist forever.

Make America Crazy Again takes that ‘80s formula and kicks it up a notch in a few places. First, Markus Allen Christopher, best known in past releases for his vocal presentation being very similar to Tom Kieffer (Cinderella), has sanded off much of his rasp in favor for thicker, more soothing vocal sound. The change (done for whatever reason) works splendidly and gives many of the songs a feeling of confidence and purpose. Musically, many of the tracks proceed forward like medieval warriors on iron-clad horses … there’s deliberate and uninhibited power and chugging within the riffs and chord patterns, but also catchy melodies and choruses that make you want to crank it up with the windows down for everyone else around you to hear.

Make America Crazy Again should indeed make America crazy … for the next evolution of Arena Hard Rock and Glam/Hair Metal! Kiss, Def Leppard, Cinderella, and Motley Crue fans should especially take notice … you’ve been waiting for years if not decades for great new music similar to what you’ve loved and supported from the past for so long. Well, the future is here in M!SS CRAZY … do yourself a favor and don’t let it slip by … and Make America Crazy Again can be the start of a Holiday Season Epiphany.

Genres: Arena Hard Rock, Hair Metal

Band:
Markus Allen Christopher – Vocals & Guitar
Jeff Jones – Guitars
Eric Morrison – Bass
Tom Frost – Drums

Tracklisting:
Six
My Disgrace
Work It Out
Can’t Be Without You
Let Me Out
My Heart Aches
You Turn Me On
Lies
Lay Me Down
His Love
M.A.C.A
The Light

Label:
MISS Crazy Records

Website:
https://misscrazyrecords.com

Hardrock Haven rating: (8 / 10)