CD-Review: Bai Bang - "All Around The World"

Once Bai Bang was a Swedish sleaze/glam metal band, but since 2009 the band plays more melodic rock with some glam elements in it. So there was not much left from sleaze metal on the last two releases of this band. Is it the same on their new record "All Around The World"? Let's find out!








I dicovered Bai Bang back in 2009 with their output "Are You Ready", which I loved at this time. So I was excited of the follow-up "Livin' My Dream", but this sounded just like a rip-off of the previous album with a bad production and after a few listenings to Bai Bang's new effort I also feel a bit sobered. Let's say I'm not really disappointed this time, because I excatly got what I was expecting ... but this is also the big problem here. But let's start step by step.

As I mentioned above the production of the last output was terrible and reminded me more on demo-versions, this is a bit better this time: "All Around The World" has a solid production ... it's not as perfect as the production of the new Vega album (for example), but still good. What bother me is that you hear each time the same rythm section, each time the same drumming ... it's all played on a very easy and "save" level and you hear that in every corner.

Also the songs can't surprise at all. Bai Bang deliver ten earworms here, which make you feel good and the whole work is fun to listen to. You can sing-along to each track, just after listening to it once!
Best examples are the opener "Everyboy Everywhere", "Gonna Make It", "Crazy" or "Get It On" (arena-feeling at it's best).
They have all hooks, remarkable chorus lines and cool guitar parts ... BUT this album and all the songs on it sound exactly like everything the band did on their last two albums and that's enough for me! I don't need another "Are You Ready Part 3".
Best example here is the song "Raise Your Hands" which ist just a copy of "Tonight" from their last album.
Then there is the problem that each song on this album itself sounds like the other and that really sucks. I can't see much creativity on here. 

Ok, I know that Bai Bang is just a party band and they deliver party music. It's all about having a Rock'n'Roll party here and this works quite well at times and I think that's everything Bai Bang want to deliver (just look at the lyrics, they are hilarious), but why everything has to sound  way the same?! And this lasts for three albums now. I really don't get it.
Even the playtime is exactly the same: after 35 minutes the whole thing is over. That's not value for money, but OK you don't need to listen to more songs, because the whole album feels like one big song. So that really bother me.
Back in 2009 Bai Bang created a new sound for the band so this style felt more fresh and they need to do such a change of sound again! So please excuse me if I don't speak about the other tracks on this album - that wouldn't make any sense.

Any way I have to be a bit objective here and for those of you who want to hear the same Bai Bang album again and again you can buy this one blindly.
Those of you, who haven't an album of Bai Bang in your collection so far and like melodic party rock can buy it too, because you get a solid melodic rock album. By the way nothing here has something to do with sleaze metal! It's all very commercial with a pop-note. I think most of the songs will work quite well on stage, because these songs are made to be played live on festivals. "All Around The World" is an album you can easily listen to, while you are having some beers with your friends. So it fulfills it's purpose - no more, no less.

Speaking about the musicians I  just can say they know how to play, but nothing here feels outstanding. Vocalist Diddi Kastenholt was also never one of the best singers, but he has a warm voice, which fits perfectly to the songs.

Oh my god, it's so hard to give a final rating here, because I had a bit fun with this album, but there is so much to complain about at the same time. For that what it is and what it wants to be it's "good", but the overall package isn't it and when I take a look at my ratings to other albums this year, it wouldn't be fair to bands like Vega or Hardcore Superstar to give Bai Bang the same score, 'cause those works of these bands were better. So finally it's a six out of ten for me.
Bai Bang ... if you guys read this: please change something in your songwriting, please add some different elements to it to keep everything fresh in the future ... because if you don't, it quickly gets boring and the final rating will be much more worse next time.

6/10

Tracklist:

01. Everybody Everywhere *
02. Gonna Make It *
03. Crazy *
04. Bai Bang
05. How About Now
06. Raise Your Hands
07. Summertime
08. Now You're Gone
09. All Around The World
10. Get It On *

* best tracks

http://www.baibang.se/