VAIN – Enough Rope (2011)
*
Vain was a glam metal band who make some noise in 1989 with ‘No Respect’ blasting on to the scene with its killer singles ‘Secrets’, ‘Who’s Watching You’ and ‘Beat the Bullet’.
The band still have a big fan base and a cult status, even the upcoming film ‘Rock Of Ages’ with Tom Cruise pays respect to Vain by featuring posters and music of them.
Now 22 years after the debut and some discs in the middle, Vain is back with a brand new album “Enough Rope”.
It’s great to hear them back and on great form with “Enough Rope”. If this album had been released in 1990 to chase up ‘No Respect’ it would have been praised to the skies.
Davy Vain vocals sounds exactly the same, and the band is tight and precise.
However, most of the music on this album does not feature many of the sleazy elements that make their trademark. For instance, there really are no pop-metal elements as such here, and only a bit of sleaze.
Actually, “Enough Rope” is more an all out hard rock album, as the music definitely has a harder edge than a lot of glam metal bands had in the golden age of the Sunset Strip.
“Greener” is a pretty good song to start the album off with. A straight rocker, melodic and with a riff so, so eighties.
“Triple X” rivals anything Vain have recorded in their storied past with its mile-a-minute guitar riffs and sleazy lyrics. You can almost hear the smoke coming off of the instruments here. This up tempo rocker is going to be a fan favorite, it remembers you the good old years when Californian rock was fun, really fun.
On the slower “Hot Stage Lights” Vain’s voice is a twisted whine/squeal, while follower “Stray Kitten Burns” has a tuneful eighties melody.
Next, “Cindy” is my favorite on the album. This is the type of dreary song that Vain have always excelled at, a melodic rocker with a catchy chorus and a fabulous guitar work.
“Treasure Girl” drifts into ballad territory with some retro acoustic guitars in an near AOR / Classic Rock wrapper. It’s another one of the best and most surprising songs on the album.
Tittle track “Enough Rope” has a totally ’80s authority and a solid songwriting. Lyrics aren’t about physical hanging, rather it talks about a conniving, popular girl whom everyone knows, so if she’s out fooling around on Vain, he’ll know. ‘Every night it’s the same old story. Downtown, where my baby goes. Around here everyone knows you. Gonna give you enough rope, you’ll hang yourself’. Ugh.
It’s back to straight-ahead hard rock on the kick-ass “Solid Gold” in which the guitar duo tries to overtake the powerful vocals… it’s a heated battle that I call a draw.
The groovy and sonically dark mid-tempo “Distance Of Love” slow things a little, followed by the short rocker “Vain” (named after themselves?).
The disc ends with the punchy, adrenaline fueled “Worship You”, a little in the glam/sleaze side of melodic hard rock.
“Enough Rope” is easily Vains’s most rockin’ release since their debut.
Davy Vain’s voice sounds as great today as it did when he burst upon the scene, and it continues to be one of the most unique voices in rock — it can be hypnotic and mesmerizing as he easily drifts between dreamy and aggressive.
The album has that signature sound that has always set Vain apart from the pack, now with less sleazy and more Sunset Strip hard rock style.
Guitarists Jamie Scott and Danny West seem determined to put their own stamp on the Vain sound with some of the best riffs in their arsenal — and they have never sounded better.
Full of strong riffs and catchy vocal lines, there is a certain rawness to the album which captures true rock ‘n’ roll spirit. The production itself is not polished, ‘live’ & raw but controlled and melodic at the same time.
“Enough Rope” is a surprisingly good and entertaining return from one of the most charismatic bands of the ’80s, offering a kickin’ collection of quality classy American melodic hard rock songs.
Rocks.
01 – Greener
02 – Triple X
03 – Hot Stage Lights
04 – Stray Kitten Burns
05 – Cindy
06 – Treasure Girl
07 – Enough Rope
08 – Solid Gold
09 – Distance Of Love
10 – Vain
11 – Worship You
Davy Vain – vocals and guitar
Jamie Scott – guitar
Danny West – guitar
Ashley Mitchell – bass
Tommy Rickard – drums
Additional Musicians:
Fraser Lunney – bass
Louie Senor – drums
BUY IT !
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00599UEE4
