GIRLSCHOOL: Wtfortyfive? (HARD ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

We'd almost forgotten about them, our favorite schoolgirls, but they've never left the school benches, churning out albums at (very) irregular intervals. It has to be said, however, that their latest albums have aroused little more than polite interest, between a questionable revision of a glorious relic ("Hit And Run Revisited") and a lukewarm redaction ("Guilty As Sin") - which in no way detracts from the sympathy and respect we have for Girlschool, whose desire to go on fighting, with rock eternally ingrained in their bodies, was not dulled even by the death of one of their number (guitarist Kelly Johnson, mown down by a cancer in 2007).

For forty-five years, they have honored the cause of heavy metal, as this "WTFortyfive?" reminds us. What else can we expect from this anniversary album but a good slice of metal, cut from the classic Motörhead and AC/DC blend that the quartet will never relinquish. They also pay homage to Lemmy with a faithful cover of 'Born To Raise Hell', backed up with communicative efficiency by friends Biff Byfford (Saxon), Phil Campbell (Motörhead) and Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses). A fine team at the service of a sacred monster.

If, to be quite honest with you, we weren't expecting much, the fact is that this fourteenth studio album raises the bar a little after a pleasant but already forgotten "Guilty As Sin". The recording could be more powerful, but it's no worse than that of the latest Iron Maiden album ("Senjutsu"), which has resources Girlschool doesn't have. The songs are stirring ('Bump In the Night'), often heavy without being lazy (the excellent 'Cold Dark Heart'), always punctuated by unifying choruses (the creeping, very AC/DC-like 'Believing In You'). A vigorous opener, 'It Is What It Is' confirms that our sexagenarians are definitely not ready to join a retirement home. We'd all love to have grandmothers like Kim McAuliffe or Tracey Lamb!

However, this laudable energy coupled with obvious sincerity isn't enough for them to recite their lesson without a few (relative) hiccups. Like its predecessors, "WTFortyfive ?" is not exempt from tracks that are at best average ('It's A Mess') and at worst almost a failure ('Invisible Killer'). In fact, after a promising start, the album doesn't really go the distance, although the contributions of Joe Stump (Alcatrazz) on the devastating 'Are You Ready?' and that of the aforementioned luxurious trio on the Motörhead cover allow it to end on a positive note overall.

This umpteenth opus from Girlschool won't change a thing in their career, of course, but it proves that they've still got it under their heels. And that's the main thing! - Official website

GIRLSCHOOL

WTFORTYFIVE?

UDR MUSIC

HARD ROCK