ON TOP

Top to Bottom

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

7.5 / 10

Track listing:

01. No Shame
02. Cold and Blue
03. Don't Go
04. Bad Love

To quote my review of ON TOP's "Top Heavy" album from 2011, "Rule number one of heavy metal marketing, circa 1986: bait your audience with an album cover that provokes a purchase without even sampling the contents. Rule number two, if you get to make a video, load it up with more T&A than a swingers' convention".

Jaron Gulino and Danny Piselli (of MACH-22 and FISTHAMMER, respectively) know how to get your attention. Sleazy 'n' meaty is the name of the game to their side venture, ON TOP. Leather-clad cleavage adorns the cover of "Top Heavy" and now the reverse order of things vaunt across their new EP, "Top to Bottom".

The good news about ON TOP is they're not just about boobs and butt. Gulino and Piselli are joined this time by guitarist Brian Davis, taking over for Alex Kulick. While not as ruthlessly reckless and sweaty as "Top Heavy", the theme of "Top to Bottom" is still full-on jizz rock perpetrated by guys keeping their feet firmly planted in Sunset yesteryear. "Top to Bottom" is perhaps tighter than "Top Heavy", but it's in a way similar to NASHVILLE PUSSY in transit between "Let Them Eat Pussy" and "Get Some!" Not quite stocked with the same amount of shock value and tireless energy, but still entertaining for all of its polish.

Jaron Gulino comes out to play by throwing down a blunt bass canter to open the greasy "No Shame", half-shrieking the choruses while sandwiched between Danny Piselli's whumping rhythm and Brian Davis' riff pileups. "Cold and Blue" grabs a few tricks out of the old AEROSMITH bag o' dirty tricks in the way of snorting riffs and blues shucks. Gulino and Davis go to work in the sharp solo section where both men throw so much into their parts you'll want to split your hearing between them both. "Don't Go" likewise drifts into AEROSMITH turf and it's probably no coincidence "cocaine lovin'" is a part of the song's lyrics.

"Bad Love" hits the taboo topic of jailbait and it's delivered in straight-up L.A. power rock fashion. It comes off as shtick since ON TOP carries a derisory undertone to how they push their comical sex 'n roll aspect. The fact "Bad Love" rips in the second half with Brian Davis' abundant guitar play and Jaron Gulino's up-and-down bass lines almost makes you forget the nervous topic at-hand.

At the very least, Gulino and Piselli are continuing to have fun in each other's company. "Top to Bottom" is nowhere near as full frontal or entertainingly slimy as "Top Heavy", but it does rock with a cock out, if not all three.

Author: Ray Van Horn, Jr.

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