Put your Warpaint on and roar along with Buckcherry in this blinding journey of tracks. 10/10
Josh Todd and crew are back with album number 8 and they mean business! Produced by Mike Plotnikoff who last worked with the band on their 2005 album 15 which achieved platinum status and Warpaint definitely has platinum written all over it! Right from the get go this album gets the blood pumping , its that moment you put on a song and immediately want to sing along . With opener and title track Warpaint and moving onto Right Now we have that classic feel; its catchy, its punchy, its Buckcherry and its got a whole extra helping of kick!
Josh Todds’ voice is of course unmistakable , and this album has all the elements of Buckcherry that we love – catchy riffs , guitar solos and a heavy dose of rock and roll attitude oozing from every note. Their cover of Nine Inch Nail‘s Head like a Hole fits right in. There’s always a concern that a cover track will break continuity of an album and stand out like a sore thumb but this is definitely not the case and with this version they have easily made it their own giving it a whole new lease of life.
They bring the pace down to a sway with Radio Song but it suits the flow of the album beautifully. Its a song that speaks to all of us , to music having the power to lift you up – ”I hear the radio playing my favourite song , I needed this I was in a rut….” The Vacuum gets you right back into the zone – with that punchy guitar you’re back to rocking out , that nice combo of melodic verse and feisty chorus they do so well. Bent, Back Down and The Alarm are all super catchy sing along hits. A real passion filled affair that’s been so carefully crafted and brilliantly thought out.
No regrets is a fast paced tale of a right of passage , through awkward teenage years to discovering music and discovering love – ”music was the only thing that helped me through the mess” Amen, Josh. Amen! The Hunger is reminiscent of great Buckcherry ballads such as , Don’t Go Away and Sorry. We have danced this dance before and it feels good. Todd knows that if it ain’t broke don’t fix it – and this is a formula that works, both the song and the placement on the album, it gives that nice lull right before they get straight back into full on party mode!
There’s another hard rocking track in Closer; this is a very tight and very well put together triumphant album that closes up with The Devil’s in the Details. Full of action this track gets the heart pumping in an adrenaline fuelled final three minutes that leaves you on a total high!
Club and radio DJ’s alike should be sure to have Warpaint on their track list with so many feel good tunes to dance the night away to! Warpaint is a roaring success and something Buckcherry can be immensely proud of – but don’t take my word for it, buy it! 10/10
Warpaint is released on March 8th and can be preordered at Amazon.
Freelance photographer.