UZI Madhouse
by Keith Schwier
Staff Writer
Spinning Madhouse by Chicago rockers UZI is akin to stepping in a time machine and taking a trip back to the halcyon days of the mid-1980s where the rock was slick and the overriding attitude was “party hard.” We all remember the times when the hair was big and the sing-along choruses were bigger. A band didn’t have anything if they weren’t sporting a ridiculous fashion statement while carrying a slew of good metal hooks in their back pocket as reinforcement. Numerous bands of the era weren’t so much metal as they were AOR-tinged rock, almost a kind of neutered metal that strove for a catchy chorus blanketed in loud guitars and glossy production values, creating a sound that came off more wild and nasty than it really was.
Was this Chicago gang of big hair and oozing attitude ever a household name? The answer is no, because the band never graduated out of the underground scene into the bright spotlights of hair spray superstardom. Groups of that era were essentially copying one other in a mad dash to get signed, and UZI became one of the musical rejects stranded on the wayside. Still, the tunes presented on this album, which is essentially a hodgepodge of recordings the band laid down during their time together from 1987-1992, is delivered with enough Ratt meets Faster Pussycat conviction that you forget about its shortcomings and simply smile at the absurdity of it all.
You can even hear the band start to adapt (or grudgingly accept, depending on point of view) to the changes in musical climate that arrived by the early ’90s. Songs like 1991’s “Wreckerd Man” come blasting through the stereo with a little more thump and heaviness, similar to how Skid Row evolved their sound on the band’s second release in 1991, Slave to the Grind.
The production values on Madhouse vary in quality, with the biggest casualty being the drum sounds, suffering from a thin treble-ish quality on tracks such as “Mutha’s Knockin’” and “Do What I Do.” Conversely, “For the Money,” “From the Gutter,” and the obligatory power ballad “Away From My Heart” benefit from a more beefed up sound in the rhythm section. This creates a lack of cohesion in the overall sound presentation but doesn’t become distracting enough that it takes away from the overall listening experience.
Guitars consistently scream out of the speakers, with Gary Vail’s nimble-fingered fretwork setting the stage early on in the opening title track. He unloads a blitzkrieg of fast runs, piercing harmonics, and playful squeals all within the span of a twenty-five second guitar solo. Unfortunately, the riffs that create the backbones of the songs are fairly second-rate and never rise above mediocrity, leaving guitar enthusiasts to gravitate more towards the lead work than anything else. Gary ’s counterpart, Nicholas Flynt, who serves as lead vocalist and chief songwriter, has enough rasp and range that his voice suits the material fine, but he never comes off as especially dark or menacing, even if his delivery is reminiscent in spots of Sebastian Bach or Axl Rose.
Upon final inspection, Madhouse presents a few good hooks and some nice ’80’s guitar work all around. Most of the songs have something going for them, with the only real stinker being the silly “Raise Hell.” Lyrically, the band tackles subjects ranging from “selling out,” to “loss of innocence,” to living by the motto “all or nothing.” Frankly, many of the lyrics deal with the struggle to nurture one’s creativity while up against a more oppressive force whose mission is to make you conform. UZI certainly weren’t about liquor and babes all the time. Sound quality isn’t the greatest in spots so certain tracks sound like they were recorded in a garage, while others have a fairly professional sheen. This was a band that loved to write anthem-style material, but aimed to put the goodtime fun in a blender with the dirty, guttural riffing Slash made famous on Appetite for Destruction.
Ultimately, it comes across as mildly fun disposable rock, bringing on a slightly embarrassing cringe once or twice, but it’s nothing all that memorable. Still, almost 20 years later, it’s nice to see the band gather up their best tunes and release them so that fans of the genre can hear from a group that faded into obscurity without ever receiving their big break.
Label: Eonian Records
Track Listing:
1. Madhouse
2. American Dream
3. Mutha’s Knockin’
4. Rocker
5. Do What I Do
6. Away From My Heart
7. Raise Hell
8. From The Gutter
9. Wreckerd Man
10. For The Money
Hardrock Haven rating: 4/10