Mama Kin In the City

by Alissa Ordabai
Staff Writer

Overproduced, compressed sound, big riffs, raunchy guitar leads, instant-grip sing-along choruses and lyrics of debauchery, sex, and general hedonism all make these Swedish rockers’ debut release an ‘80s aficionado’s wet dream. If you still wear your ripped Levi’s tight and bemoan the withdrawal of Aquanet from the market, this is as perfect a throwback to the golden age of glam metal as you’re gonna get these days. Just make sure you have your reading glasses in hand when listening to this opus as you are guaranteed to be checking the release date on the back of this CD several times to make sure it says 2009, not 1989.

The good thing is that these boys know exactly who they are and go about their business with acumen and a precision of those who know the rules of the genre. The entire package answers the traditional glam metal demands perfectly: The chops are borderline virtuosic, and the songwriting follows the book to a tee. Philosophically, all these kids want are “champagne, chicks and rock ’n’ roll,” as they spell out on the closing track, while making it perfectly clear that they’ll gladly pass on self-knowledge as well as the search for a meaning of it all.

A lack of at least one unique (or at least memorable) feature in this act is regrettable, but developing their own individuality is probably not an objective for this band at this stage. For now, their purpose is to serve as a living display piece in the museum of rock history, and the proficiency with which they go about this in itself deserves kudos. Measure them on a scale applied to individuals searching for the answers to the question of who they really are through a creative act, and it will all fall through, but to each his own. These guys’ purpose is different, their sheer love for rock ’n’ roll and their blistering chops will redeem them in the eyes of those who like to let it all hang out at a sweaty club on an ‘80s retro night.

Label: Leon Music

Track Listing:
1. Badge and a Gun
2. In the City
3. You Belong to Me
4. Mrs. Operator
5. Higher & Higher
6. Too Much
7. Fortune & Fame
8. Superman
9. You
10. Champagne, Chicks & Rock’n’Roll

Hardrock Haven rating: 7/10