Album Review: The Flaming Sideburns - "Silver Flames"

 

Much hyped at the time, I have to be honest and say that I found the sole Flaming Sideburns album that I heard during their first run, 2001's Hallelujah Rock 'n' Rollah to be a bit of a disappointment, kind of lacking the bite of similar bands at the time like the Hellacopters, Turbonegro and Gluecifer. To be honest, the main thing I seem to remember about them rather than any of their tunes was the fact that their singer looked like a cross between Dee Dee Ramone and Ian Brown...

Twenty or so years later, these Finland glam-punks are back and, much as they were back in the day, they've come back with a solid album rather than a spectacular one. However, that's not to say it's a bad effort - certainly the swaggering vocals, chugging guitars and Johnny Thunders style solos on the likes of Perfect Storm and Cast Out My Demons definitely tick the necessary boxes. It's just that it sounds a bit "heard it all before" compared to the sheer fury of some of the other bands who've put similar albums out of late such as the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs.

Like I say though, it's decent enough for what it is - hell, there's even the odd surprise such as the gentle intro to A Song For Robert and the 69 Eyes style gothiness of Reverberation (Doubt). They even attempt what appears to be some sort of weird glam-punk tango on Neverending and just about carry it off which is no mean achievement. It's just that while there's plenty of competent and solid songs on here, Silver Flames just kind of lacks a standout track to leap out at you and make you think "wow, I really must cue that one up again!" and elevate it from being a good album to a great one (though Searching Like A Hyena which reminds me oddly of a glammed up version of the old Auteurs classic Lenny Valentino, comes agonisingly close).

I can see this album appealing to die hard glam-punk fans and those who loved the band first time out but it's difficult to see it winning them any new converts. In other words, close but no cigar amigos...

Bandcamp link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑🌑 (7/10)

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