HALFCOCKED
"The
Last Star" (Megatronic/Dreamworks; 2001)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Two guys and three girls. Halfcocked? I'm thinking more like 40%-cocked. But the math isn't really important here.
Halfcocked is raucous, heavily guitar-driven rock'n'roll. It's fat with thick, chunky chords, hook-laden choruses and full-forward tempos. With strong vocals by front(wo)man Sarah "Starr" Reitkopp, Halfcocked sounds a little like Joan Jett crossed with Motley Crue. That and just a hint of the Pretenders.
Which, summed up, means that there's a little retro involved here, but that's a good thing. Halfcocked rock like 80s rock was just invented today. It's not as slick and as overly commercial as some of, say, Warrant's 80s stuff, but it's got that vibe to it - that vibe that is more about the power of music than the power of rage.
Comparisons to female rockers like Joan Jett and Lita Ford are unavoidable here, but that's not a bad thing. Those rockers were more metal than alternative (like Courtney Love and Hole) and so is Halfcocked.
Works for me.
"The Last Star" was Produced, Recorded and Mixed by Ulrich Wild with Executive Producer Spider One.
Halfcocked: Regina Zernay - live bass guitar (Jehn Kobran performs bass on the CD); Johnny Rock - lead & rhythm guitars; Sarah "Starr" Reitkopp - vocals; Charlee Jonsson - drums, percussion & keyboards; Mad Dog Jaime Richter - rhythm guitars.
For more information, check out http://www.halfcocked.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 © 2001 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 15 Apr 2024 16:45:43 -0400.
