Hard rock
D-list 80s rockers Black ‘N Blue have become a bit of an underground favorite and on May 13 we’ll see their first new album since 1988 arrive on Frontiers Records. Entitled “Hell Yeah”, the record strives to exude the party time atmosphere that summed up 80s melodic rock. The band’s biggest “hit” was “Miss Mystery”, a hugely catchy lost gem in AOR circles. Lead singer Jaime St James (who also fronted Warrant after Jani Lane) reunited the group several years ago to finish material for the long shelved “Hell Yeah”.
“Hell Yeah” doesn’t have anything that matches their favorites from the past. The band has done an admirable job updating their sound, but they left their melodic hooks behind. The album is a failure because there are simply no memorable choruses, even more forgettable verses, limp solo work, and cringe worthy sleaze lyrics. It is a shame these guys could not recapture the magic that produced “Miss Mystery”. Only two tracks come close – the energetic single “Target” and the melodic “So Long”.
But all things considered, “Hell Yeah” should have just been named “Hell”.
iPOD-worthy: 2, 8
Black ‘N Blue – MySpace.
