Naughty Boys Destiny Calls
by Leyla Hamedi
Guest Writer
There seems to be a divide in bands of the sleaze metal variety in Scandinavia. There are the top tier bands like Hellacopters and Bloodlights, and then there are the bands that are just a level below. Don’t get me wrong, the second level bands are usually worth writing home about too (because Sweden et al are apparently incapable of sucking), but they seem to lack that extra oomph. At first, Naughty Boys seems like they belong in the second category; their title track is relatively catchy and you know, it’s okay. It’s above average but not stupendous. However, with the rest of the album, they prove that though they might not be at the top, they’re definitely straddling the line.
“Walk Away,” gets your attention the way the first song doesn’t quite. Hard guitars and raspy but melodic vocals make it one of the best songs on the album. It has that Babylon Bombs, “We’re sleazy but we’ll be nice when we meet your parents,” vibe to it. Yeah well, that illusion is completely destroyed by, “Endless Pain,” with its ‘80s stripper metal intro and screeching wails. Then they do another 180 with “Don’t Turn Around,” with its piano intro. Paired with the same hard guitars, it feels like it would be a good melodic death metal song too, if they were willing to go that direction.
With, “Light of Day,” you get this anthem-like intro that builds into an epic chorus. It sounds so familiar that you can’t help but like it. It’s similar to early Scorpions, in fact that’s it! The song is the Swedish twin of, “Alien Nation.” The bass gets to have its moment in the spotlight with, “Broken,” but the song quickly evolves into another, “meh,” song. Good but again, not going to have you screaming in ecstasy. Not that music ever makes anyone do that. Nope.
“Runaway Train,” has a back and forth rhythm that catches the attention but the final track, “Fly with the Angels,” has a meandering aspect to it that doesn’t really suit as the last song. It does pick up and like the other songs, falls into a stable, if not totally inspiring, melody. Overall, it’s a good record that deserves a place in any sleaze rock collection, but you can’t help wishing there was a little more to it.
Label: Artist Service / N-Records / MBM
Band Members:
Mikael Sandvik – Vocals
Morgan Valentin – Keyboard
Hans Olsson – Guitar
Jonas Ludvigsson – Drums
Vacant – Bass
Track Listing:
Destiny Calls
Walk Away
Endless Pain
Don’t Turn Around
Light of Day
Eternity
Broken
Time
Head Held High
Runaway Train
Fly With the Angels
Web site: www.naughtyboys.se
Hardrock Haven Rating: 8/10