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STROKE 9
"All
In" (Sixthman; 2004)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Much of Pud's review of Stroke 9's "Nasty Little Thoughts" CD (see below) can be applied to the band's new CD, "All In." First, although I'll avoid the "sissy" tag that Pud used, "All In" is about as far from heavy metal as Elton John is from Motorhead. It's a collection of mostly lively pop tunes that never rock even close to hard. That's the bad news.
The good news is that, despite the fact "All In" doesn't have any real muscle, at least it's not another collection of dull spongerock. The songs on "All In" are all very well written and feature some surprisingly brilliant lyrics. In fact, the lyrics alone here are enough to hold your attention throughout the CD. What helps even more is that the songs - although never really fast paced or edgy - are different and unique enough to at least set themselves apart from the rest of the carbon copy pack.
I can't really recommend "All In" to most Rough Edge readers. You won't be banging your head to this unless you bought it thinking it was speed metal and you're banging your head against the wall wishing you had your $13.00 back. But it isn't a bad CD at all; it's probably just not your cup of tea.
Stroke 9: Luke Esterkyn, vocals and guitar; Eric Stock, drums; John McDermott, guitar, vocals.
For more information, check out http://www.stroke9.com.
"Nasty Little Thoughts" (Universal
Records; 1999)
Reviewed by Pud
Being the "alternative" guy at Rough Edge means I get to review all the so- called "sissy" CDs that we get here. Well, I present to you the band Stroke 9 and their CD "Nasty Little Thoughts" from Universal Records. Is this CD "Rough?" Not even a little bit. Is it any good? Hell, yeah. There are 12 pop tunes about love, fucked-up love, and really fucked-up love on "Nasty Little Thoughts." "Little Black Backpack" waxes poetically about beating the shit outta the "other" guy (but, after looking at a picture of these guys, they better hope the other guy ain't too large). The other killer song here is "Washin' and Wonderin'." All in all a very good CD with excellent lyrics.
Stroke 9: Luke Esterkyn, vocals and guitar; Eric Stock, drums; John McDermott, guitar; Greg Gueldner, bass.
For more information, check out http://www.stroke9.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2005 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised:
01 Apr 2024 11:14:17 -0500.
