I recently had the chance to see Kiss in concert, and it became clear to me that they had lost their touch over the years. It had been almost a quarter of a century since I last saw them deliver a great performance, back in March 1999 during the Psycho Circus tour at Wembley. The opening act that night was a new band. They had a song about Cocaine.
What surprised me that night was that support band, Buckcherry, who have now become a “veteran” classic rock band. They aren’t “Lit Up” anymore, as it were, but the partying is still strong within.
Although only Josh Todd remains from the early days, the spirit of Buckcherry lives on as long as he’s around. Their latest album, “Vol 10,” showcases their signature sound and attitude. Songs like “This And That” with its unmistakable Buckcherry chorus and Todd’s lyrics exuding confidence, “I got an attitude,” and “I won’t be messing around,” the inference is clear here,
“Good Time” lives up to its name, delivering exactly what you would expect from a Buckcherry song with that title. “Keep on Fighting” brings a punky, aggressive vibe, and it’s fair to say that this is the band’s best record in years even from those openers. “Turn It On” is reminiscent of the glam rock era and seems tailor-made for strip clubs, the bands happy place, you might say….
“Feels Like Love” takes us back to the power ballads of the 80s, there’s a touch of Whitesnake here, there’s supposed to be while “One And Only” impresses with its catchy bass groove and explosive chorus. “Shine Your Light” exudes an infectious glee and energy, giving listeners a sugar rush. Stevie D’s riffs throughout the album sound downright filthy, and they’ve never been better than on “Let’s Get Wild.”
But for all that, there’s a maturity, “With You” kicks off with a twin guitar intro that feels like the aforementioned Kiss jamming with Queen, and “Pain” brings in the piano reminiscent of Guns N’ Roses’ style. The album ends with their take on “Summer of 69,” – now you can’t improve on perfection, clearly, it’s one of the best songs ever made, what you can do though, is make it sound
Josh Todd’s world has been filled with summers of ’69’s (and more), for as long as he’d a microphone and a stage, it’s just now they have the skill and maturity to match their vision.
Rating 8/10
