For those who want their rock 'n' rollers in long, teased hair, leather pants and strip clubs, The Dead Daisies are back with an album of squealing guitars, pounding drums and as many big hooks as a Home Depot.
The ever-evolving Australia-based collective that has included former minor members of such bands as Guns N' Roses, Ozzy Osbourne and Thin Lizzy has been looking for the sweet spot between hair metal of the 1980s and '70s classic rock. On their third CD, they've found it.
The Daisies offer a sonic wave of arena-ready songs on the 12-song "Make Some Noise" that are strangely familiar even on the first listen. That's because the members have gleefully riffed on sounds from their musical pasts and left them like clues, like an auditory version of "Pokemon Go" for metal-heads.
Lead vocalist John Corabi (who temporarily led Motley Crue when Vince Neill left in 1992) has a nice growl and guitarists David Lowy (Red Phoenix) and Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio) are constantly revving their instruments, threatening to screech off on their own solos like little kids with a mouthful of Pop Rocks.
Bassist Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake) and Brian Tichy (Ozzy Osbourne, Foreigner) do not do subtle - they love a big, ripe, bombastic approach. All five get song and lyric writing credits, a true collective.
The album, dealing mostly with love, touring and making noise, includes the standouts "Long Way to Go" and "Song and a Prayer" as well as credible covers of Creedence Clearwater Revival's classic "Fortunate Son" and The Who's "Join Together."
Producer Marti Frederiksen (Aerosmith, Def Leppard) lends an assured hand, allowing individual band members to shine without swamping the album with pointless meanderings. It slightly sags toward the end but shows impressive range even within the tight framework.
It's a tight, sharp-sounding CD that will remind you what it's like to bang your head. The only possible side effect may be the impulse purchase of some motorcycle boots and an alarming amount of scarfs.