Friday, March 19, 2010

Review: RED LIGHT FEVER by Hot Leg

If there was any doubt that Justin Hawkins was the primary creative influence behind the late, lamented The Darkness, it’s no longer a matter of debate. Hawkins’ reasons for his departure from that band and its ultimate dissolution are subject to debate, but it seems the real reason is that he was tired of having to share his creative vision with four other people, one of whom is his brother and brings all of the contentious baggage that comes with that.

Basically, if you loved The Darkness, you will love this, as it is in every way that matters their third album, only without all of the other guys and their apparently quite useless input (the other Darkness boys have gone on to form Stone Gods, a band remarkable mainly for its staggering dullness). Standout tracks include the singles “I’ve Met Jesus” and “Cocktails” (the most Darkness-y track). The first track, “Chickens,” is notable mainly for the way that it aggressively attempts to alienate as many of Hawkins’ last band’s lunkhead fans as possible with frenetic synth-noodling and the sort of vocals that Freddie Mercury would envy (it is, naturally, epic).

There’s nothing I don’t like about this album, except for the fact that no American publisher has released it yet, meaning that you’re stuck with two options: an overpriced import copy, or piracy. Do what you will: I won’t judge.

Kevin Wolf @ www.pop-ogre.com

8. Hot Leg – Red Light Fever: This one will have slipped under most people’s radars, maybe more so in the U.S., but even here in the UK they’re not known outside of being Justin Hawkins’ (from The Darkness) new band. They’re a great band in their own right, and their debut is full of all the huge riffs and falsetto vocals that turned Justin Hawkins into a superstar towards the middle of the decade. From ballads like “Kissing in the Wind” to high-energy classic rock with “Whichever Way You Wanna Give It”, there isn’t really a bad track on it. It’s was rock music was in the ‘80s, and what it should also be – loud, epic and fun.

411 Music

Albums of 2009: 5 – 1

Spotify Playlist for the top albums of 2009 can be found here… Does It Rock Albums of 2009

5) Hot Leg – Red Light Fever

Hot Leg bring back the ‘amps to 11′ classic rock  with the return of the one and only spandex clad rocker Justin Hawkins. Justin has re-emerged blonder than usual post-drug addiction with  a sense of humour firmly in tact alongside his guitar genius, not forgetting his crafty skill of writing great pop tunes.

If you have a sense of humour the lyrics on Red Light Fever will definitely please. Lines like “Fame Academy, Pop-Idol, Are Making Me Suidical” & “It’s only because we watch this S**t that they keep on making more of it” on the talent show mocking Ashamed. “Cock Cock Cock Cock…..tails” screams the soaring queen-esque falsetto on Cocktails, not forgetting this line from Chickens a nonsensical tribute to living on your own “And the clock just keeps on ticking, There’s nothing here but this chicken”. Vocals (from Justin’s self proclaimed Truth Larynx) on this album are superb with his superhuman falsetto. Hawkins is surely one of the rock vocalists of the decade.

Vocals aside the rock never stops with huge power chords leading cracking melodies throughout this top notch album. Hot Leg are set apart from their counterparts with their use of the keyboards to bolster their rock sound, Cocktails has a distinctly 80s electro feel before exploding into their most catchy track with great melodies and a superb guitar solo as well. Their pop slantings are ever present with uber-infectious melodies and instantly lovable chorus’ flowing through the heart of this album.

If you want a hard rocking album packed with mammoth riffs, catchy melodies, fun times, chuckles galore and an epic singalong…what your looking for is Red Hot Fever.

Top Track: Cocktails – Keyboards, Guitars, Fun, Riffs, Falsetto’s, Solo’s, Melody and Catchiness … What more could you wish for?

www.doesitrock.net