SEX SLAVES

Well, we've got two "ladies" sucking face on a cover with pink lettering. Must be a death metal album, right? You know the deal; if NYC punked up, glam-tinged and pop-flavored rock is anathema to all that you believe in, stay far away from SEX SLAVES' "Bite Your Tongue". Those that cannot get enough of such a sleazy musical elixir may find the album works on a basic level, offering a handful of fairly memorable hooks and a relatively gritty style. And of course it's all been done before. The question is whether the boys are good at it. It's a mixed bag.

The tunes with the '70s glam-punk style, such as "We're Going Out Tonight" and "All Night Long" (as in "I just want to fuck you all night long") are of the paint-by-numbers variety, but are more than tolerable. Even with throwaway tracks like "Me & My Friends", a sound mix that accents the riffs and brings out the bass lines helps the effort, although the songs would probably be more palatable played in a dive bar with a crowd of DUIs waiting to happen. The poppier material, like "Contagious", "One More Night", and "Kiss Me" (featuring acoustic guitar on the verse) are somewhat catchy, but ultimately forgettable. "Thank God for Jack Daniels" succeeds to some degree as a shout-along drinking song (big surprise, huh?). I was skeptical when the cover of IGGY AND THE STOOGES' "Search & Destroy" began, as I'm a big fan of "Raw Power" and would rather the standout track from a seminal album not be butchered. Fortunately, it was not sliced and diced, SEX SLAVES pulling it off rather well. Shit, it's a great song anyway. Provided that care is taken to do it right, how could I not like it?

No one can accuse SEX SLAVES of trend jumping or trying to be something they're not. Stupid band name and silly lyrics aside, there is generally more to like than dislike, provided you can handle this kind of thing. The reality is that I'll probably never listen to it again after the completion of this review (and I like a good deal of punk-laced rock). That probably says more about the album than what is written above.