FATAL SMILE – White Trash Heroes (2014)

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Swedish hard rock / shock metal act FATAL SMILE broke up. Founder guitarist Yüksel Unutmaz (aka MR. Y) announced some days ago “I’m laying my dear band FATAL SMILE to rest… in peace!”.
It’s a curious move when you’re about to the release the band’s fifth studio album tomorrow, April 25…
Anyway, bad timing or not, Fatal Smile’s (final?) CD “White Trash Heroes” will be out tomorrow produced by MR.Y and featuring guest appearances by guitarist Douglas Blair of W.A.S.P., and additional backing vocals on the whole album by legend Paul Sabu (who also contributed with some arrangements).

While you can lump Fatal Smile in with the current Swedish Sleaze Metal Movement exemplified by the likes of Crazy Lixx, Crashdiet, Baby Jane, etc., they bring a little more beef and balls to the game and a little less ‘sing-a-long’. While those aforementioned bands use ‘80s hair-metal as their foundation, Fatal Smile take their inspiration from ‘80s metal; in other words, they are more Leatherwolf or W.A.S.P. than Poison or Trixter.

“White Trash Heroes” sports some serious metal crunch, bursting out of the gate with the kind of primal intensity that causes cute little kittens to spontaneously explode. Fatal Smile likes it hard and heavy and they bring that hardness like a horny teenager after chugging a bottle of Viagra.
Sure, there is melody here and the band reins in the hard rock smack-down on many songs, but even there they manage to imbue their songs with a metallic edge.

I really enjoyed Fatal Smile’s third record, a decent hard rock recording with a modern, potent sound, but since the last album when they turned more raw and dirtier I lost interest in the group.
“White Trash Heroes” mixes both frontiers: it’s raw and kicks you in the stomach, yet much more polished than its predecessor which score points in my book. Additionally, there’s some catchiness of the past on some songs.
At places, the compact wall of sound is very reminiscent of Rob Zombie which is not a bad thing, but turns the proceedings too much repetitive for my tastes.

However, when Fatal Smile decides to go melodic, they rock quite good as heard on catchy “Dirty Little Secret” with some Skid Row in it, “I’m The Gun” which behind the sonic attack reminds me Alice Cooper, the anthemic mid-tempo, groovy hard rocker “Reflections From The Past”.
On the heavier tracks, my pick is closer “Hip MF”, sonically completely different than the rest of the CD with Douglas Blair of W.A.S.P. contributing guitar on a song that indeed has a strong W.A.S.P. inspiration.

Attitude is what fuels Fatal Smile’s music, not to mention their writing, concerts, and, judging from eyewitness reports, their life. The sleaze-soaked songs rip and tear along on the strength of loud guitars, pounding drums, power-hooks galore, and shout-it-out choruses.
And gang vocals. Tons of ‘em. Seriously, if you get off on gang vocals, you’re going to need at least two boxes of Kleenex every time you listen to this album.
So, if you like this type of ’80s inspired metal / hard, get “White Trash Heroes”, the Swan song from Fatal Smile.

01 – White Trash Heroes
02 – Like A Rockstar
03 – Heartache & Pain
04 – Dirty Little Secret
05 – Alive & Kicking
06 – I’m the Gun
07 – Down & Out
08 – Reflections From The Past
09 – Gave It All
10 – Hip MF

MR.Y – Guitars & Backing Vocals
Blade – Lead Vocals
Alx – Bass & Backing Vocals
Snake – Drums & Backing vocals
Guests;
Douglas Blair – guitar
Paul Sabu – Backing Vocals

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