Today I'd like to show you another album that belongs to my absolute favorites in Rock, which means it is a real classic to me (although it isn't that old). In 2010 a band from Chicago, called Bad City, released their debut "Welcome To The Wasteland" and it is a winner by any means. With their fresh attitude and their pretty cool mixture of 70's, 80's, 90's and modern Rock they created an album that belongs to the best records in the last decade.
I think not many of you know this talented band, although Bad City supported already the Smashing Pumpkins, Hinder and Slash on their shows. So what can you expect from this album? I've read reviews where the band is called a Glam/Hair Metal act like Wig Wam - this is so damn wrong. Don't know where this impression comes from. Just because of huge melodies and harmonic guitar solos? "Welcome To The Wasteland" has much more to offer and gives the listener so much variety. You'll find influences from Bon Jovi, Queen, Skid Row, Cheap Trick, The White Stripes and much more on this record, so there is something for every taste.
Great melodic and anthemic jewels like "Take Me For A Ride", "Touch" and the over-the-top hit "Call Paul Stanley" go hand in hand with more rough and dirty Sleaze Rock tunes like "Wildlife", "Showdown In Central Park" and "Look Out!". The latter could have been a left-over from Skid Row's "Slave To The Grind".
Yeah and then you have various other tracks with a very modern sound like "Heatwave", "Straight To The Grave" and the ballad "Fire In The Pouring Rain". And if that wasn't enough the guys come along with a track called "Do You Believe In Rock'nRoll" that would fit Queen very well.
The Japanease version includes two more tracks that are also worth the money - just killers, no fillers. The crazy thing is you wouldn't expect such a huge Rock record from this band that consists mostly of former members from a Pop act called Powerspace.
The sad thing is that as fast as they entered the Rock world they also disappeared very quickly. In 2011 singer Josh Caddy left the band and a few months later the whole thing was over. Very often I think about what could have become of this talented young band.
But the fact that the band didn't exist anymore makes "Welcome To The Wasteland" even more a rare classic to me or like Paul Stanley said: "Welcome To The Wasteland is an absolute knockout and the best album I've heard in ages. A killer, cohesive album of great rock and bombastic production that has been sorely missing. Every track is a winner and Bad City raises the bar out of most band's reach. It's really that good." Word!!!
Tracklist:
01. Showdown In Central Park *
02. Take Me For A Ride *
03. Do You Believe In Rock'n'Roll
04. Wildlife
05. Fire In The Pouring Rain
06. Call Paul Stanley *
07. Heatwave *
08. Look Out!
09. Touch *
10. Straight To The Grave
11. Don't Stop (Japanease bonus track)
12. War On Love (Japanease bonus track)
* best tracks
http://www.badcitymusic.com/
Great band... Now Max Perenchio is gone. Sad!
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