Warrant as a band has had its ups and downs. Not the least of which was the departure of original front man, Janie Lane, and his subsequent death in 2011. Even through these trials and tribulations, Warrant, has continued making music through numerous line-up changes finally establishing a stable array of musicians consisting of four of the five original members as of the release of their first full-length album, ‘Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich’ in 1989, Erik Turner and Joey Allen on guitars, Jerry Dixon on bass and Steven Sweet on drums. Robert Mason (ex-Lynch Mob) has been providing top-notch vocals since Janie Lane’s second departure from the band in 2008. Having the bulk of the original band together lends well to recapturing the magic of Warrant while adding some modern edginess.
Their most recent effort, ‘Louder, Harder, Faster’ does just this. Right out of the gate with the title track of the album, “Louder, Harder, Faster”, Warrant seems to transport back to 1989 while keeping one foot loosely planted in 2017. Mason’s vocals can be easily compared to those of various modern bands such as Alter Bridge, clear, strong and high-pitched. Turner and Allen throw down riffs and solos with ease and Dixon’s subtle base lines compliment Sweet’s drumming fittingly.
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That loosely placed foot in 2017 becomes less discernible on subsequent tracks such as the power ballad “U in My Life”, a grandiose anthem to young love, and the clapping chorus of “Big Sandy”, the latter of the two sounding almost familiar being well acquainted with early Kix classics along a similar vein.
Warrant’s underlying southern and blues influences also shine in a handful of tracks starting with “Devil Dancer” which has an almost sinister quality akin to “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. “Music Man” is another example of the same and is one of the stand-outs on this record. The song rips, is riff-heavy and will translate well to a live setting.
The remainder of the tracks on this album walk the line between modern rock and roll and retro-inspired feel-good sing-alongs for which prior decades were known. “Perfect”, “Faded” and “Let it Go” all fall under this category. All good songs but slightly predictable in the context of a band established almost 30 years ago and enjoying their biggest success during that time period.
All things considered, ‘Louder, Harder, Faster’ is a solid outing which will more than likely satisfy the established Warrant fan. It is reminiscent of their earlier work with just a bit of freshness and edge and should do well with a good push from the label.