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UGLY
"Ugly"
(Rock Ridge; 2007)
Reviewed by Mike SOS
Playing rock music without a net, the Detroit quartet Ugly make their fellow statesmen Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop, and Ted Nugent proud by liberally taking elements of each man's rock legacy to compose their 12-track eponymous affair.
Declaring a rock revolution never comes easy, yet this raucous quartet make it sound easier than it is with huge backbeats, Lynyrd Skynyrd-meets-Van Halen-esque vocal and guitar showmanship, and oodles of arena-rock fodder from the days of yore, from the obvious ("Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll") to the obliquely Southern ("Son").
Sharing as much in common with bands of today (like Shinedown and Saliva) as they do Grand Funk Railroad and KISS, even when this kickass outfit do grab from the old bag of Nickelback rock cliches at times ("Everything"), it fits like a glove, never sounding forced or contrived.
Ugly ultimately delivers a down and dirty, whiskey-fueled, foot-stompin' release bursting with the hard rock flair that the FM dial seemingly forgot about.
For more information, check out http://www.myspace.com/uglyamerica.
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 © 2007 by R. Scott Bolton. All
rights reserved.
Revised:
04 Sep 2023 15:33:16 -0400
.
