SISTER SWITCHBLADE – Tales And Taboos (2019)

Perth, Australia based melodic hard rockers SISTER SWITCHBLADE are releasing their sophomore studio album “Tales And Taboos”, a collection of US glammy ’80s inspired songs with a lot of attitude.
The one minute and seventeen seconds of gentle acoustic guitar that opens the record reminds me of the intro to Icon’s mighty ‘Hungry for Love’, a deep cut of classy 80s that I simply love and as a result for once I find myself OK with a short instrumental track opening up an album.
Then ‘Jezebel’ busts out of the speakers with siren wailing immediately after, turning unto a cool rocking song with a nice 1989s groove plenty of bite, and when you then add the ‘Skid Row via Sunset Strip’ vibe of ‘Ain’t Your Valentine’ it’s already looking like a good day for Australian Hard Rock.

The truth is though that this one just gets even better, there’s a shot of AC/DC in ‘Hard Line;’ whilst ‘Oh Tiana’ has a bluesy, whisky-soaked groove and arena size chorus. That’s before ‘The Ace Won’t Wait’ takes us back to sleazy US rock heaven circa 1987.
Half way in ‘Love Kinda Rusty’ gives you a slight respite, building like that opening track but with guitars plugged in and set to stun, it finally bursts to life with a wonderful slice of vintage Aussie rock that has a little of The Angels about it along with Rose Tattoo.

That’s swiftly followed by the shimmering and melodic noise that is ‘Beautiful Mess’ and the high energy crunch of ‘Bad Little Bitch’ which again takes us down and dirty.
All too soon we’re at the business end though: ‘Come Alive’ is a ver catchy melodic rocker, we hear a foot-stomping rocker in ‘Share My Disease’, before we draw things to a close with one of the very best here; ‘This Love is Dead’, which signs off the album with a Crue-like crunching riff and a wailing solo that puts the icing on this second birthday cake.

Sister Switchblade rocks, and rocks with a clear second half of the ’80s US glammy hard rock sound, but adding the classy Aussie rock touch to make it distinctive.
Hey, even that album cover takes you back to 1987… it’s all fun and entertaining stuff.
Highly Recommended

 

01 – Tales And Taboos
02 – Jezebel
03 – Ain’t Your Valentine
04 – Hard Line
05 – Oh Tiana
06 – The Ace Won’t Wait
07 – Love Kind Of Rusty
08 – Beautiful Mess
09 – Bad Little Bitch
10 – Come Alive
11 – Share My Disease
12 – This Love Is Dead

Andy Smith – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Dylan – Lead Guitar
Browny – Bass, Vocals
Adam Bannister – Drums, Vocals

 

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www.amazon.co.uk/Tales-Taboos-Explicit-Sister-Switchblade/dp/B07XTNBLFQ