BLAZON FIRE: The Dark Side Of The Pussy (HARD ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

How do you exist in the shadow of a band you've chosen to copy? This is the difficult equation that Blazon Fire has been trying to solve since 2015. Indeed, whether in their looks, musical style or lyrics and song titles, the members of the quartet are veritable replicas of Steel Panther. Their third opus, the delicately titled "The Dark Side Of The Pussy" is going to attempt to propel Seth Coymall's gang out of the omnipresent shadow of the Californian giant.

With its fourteen tracks and over an hour of music, this album is generous and Blazon Fire offers us a nice palette of its influences. No-one will be surprised to discover the names of Mötley Crüe, David Lee Roth, with or without Van Halen, or Bon Jovi among the bands whose names spring to mind when listening to this "The Dark Side Of Pussy", with its gleaming cover and homemade production. Although successful overall, the latter nevertheless lacks scope and mixes Vicious Beverly's vocals a little too much, which may irritate some. And yet, while the frontman's vocals immediately evokes that of Vince Neil, with his helium-fueled duck intonations, he sometimes breaks free of this overpowering comparison and proves that he can come up with more interesting stuff ('Jenny Told Parts').

As for his bandmates, they're anything but dull. The rhythm section kicks ass and grooves ('Cyber Hooker', 'Speed Sex Cocaine', 'Funck Your Pussy', 'Spermbag'), and while he may not be a shredder on Satchel's level, Seth Coymall nevertheless use his guitar with talent and pulls off a few pretty soli. It's worth noting that the six-stringer also handles the keyboards, which add an extra 80's touch on the more FM tracks ('Mega Bukkake', 'Shake My Stick Baby'). All this adds up to a very lovable album, despite its excessive length and a few off-key moments, such as 'Fistin' Chapel', which is a little heavy-handed, both lyrically and interpretively. We also regret that the ballad 'Fairy Tale Between My Balls' too obviously recycles Bon Jovi's 'I'll Be There For You' to go unnoticed.

Nevertheless, it's hard not to fall head over heels for a band that manages to trigger a strong feeling of sympathy, provided you're not a follower of puritanical fundamentalism and don't develop a second- or third-degree allergy. There's no shortage of ways in which Blazon Fire could improve, whether in terms of vocals or production, where it would be welcome to give more space to the choruses, which are just begging to be brought together. In the meantime, there's plenty here to enjoy a festive moment with buddies, and a sense of humor that's as gravelly as possible. - Official website

BLAZON FIRE

THE DARK SIDE OF THE PUSSY

AUTRE LABEL

HARD ROCK