When two of the founding architects of Swedish sleaze hard rock reunite, the results were never likely to be subtle. Zan Cody brings together Zinny Zan and Harry Cody, the original front duo of cult legends Shotgun Messiah, and Beautiful ‘N Damned finds them gleefully mixing glam, sleaze, blues and industrial rock.
That mixture has always been their stock-in-trade, and “Sever” establishes it immediately. Cody’s guitar sound is huge, Zan delivers every word with characteristic attitude and the solo is magnificent. “I Am The Shit” then swaggers in as a celebration of the good times. They are coming through, whether anyone else likes it or not, so you would be advised to stay out of the way.
“Ride Or Die” is powered by Van Halen-style riffs, while its cry of being sick of feeling sick and tired neatly captures the defiance running through the record. “Suffer City” slows things down, finding Zan nursing a broken heart without ever turning into conventional power balladry. It remains bruised, grubby and unmistakably theirs.
“She Walks With Violence” might be even sleazier. Its harmonica sounds as though it has staggered out of the roughest bar in town, and neither the music nor the lyrics does anything to clean up the atmosphere. “Damn” follows with its declaration of personal freedom and a chorus so infectious that you might need to wear gloves while listening to it.
The album is at its best when it embraces big, grand gestures, and “Let’s Be Heroes” does exactly that. It is bold, dramatic and made for a stage. By contrast, the title track is slightly more restrained, delivering a dark glam slam that occasionally recalls The 69 Eyes. There is still plenty of menace beneath its polished surface.
“Bad Bad Man” strips things back to something more primal. This is dirty blues rock with danger in its bones, Zan warning that darkness is coming as Cody supplies the appropriately threatening guitar work.
“Tear It All Down” offers one final shift. Built upon the scale and sheen of ’80s arena rock, it sounds different from much of what has come before, but its urge to destroy everything and start again ensures that it still belongs here. It brings the record to a suitably emphatic conclusion.
The chemistry between Zinny Zan and Harry Cody remains obvious. Zan supplies the personality, Cody provides the riffs and solos, and together they make music that sounds dangerous without becoming trapped by nostalgia. Beautiful ‘N Damned celebrates their past, certainly, but it never feels like two men attempting to recreate it.
Instead, this is an album filled with swagger, darkness and enormous choruses. Zan Cody remain proud to be sleazy, damned and very loud indeed.
8/10
