Vanity BLVD
Rock N Roll Overdose

November 2008
Released: 2008, Gain/Sony BMG
Rating: 2.0/5
Reviewer: Anders Sandvall

Vanity BLVD was discovered by Ryan Roxie (Alice Copper) and producer Chris Laney (Animal, Zan Clan). The band comes from a small town in the middle of Sweden called Avesta. The band is a five piece act fronted by a woman and only by looking at the cover can you guess what kind of music Vanity BLVD plays. Yes, it’s nothing but glam/sleaze rock’n’roll that oozes of energy and power. Despite the simple music there’s nothing simple about the band or the performance. The bands biggest inspirations are bands like Hanoi Rocks, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Motley Crue and New York Dolls.



The band has received a lot of inspiration from their 80’s heroes which can be heard in the music. The material is even and my favorite songs are “Talk Of The Town”, “Summer Tease”, “Nasty Girl” and “Feed My Obsession”. Those are the brightest shining songs on the disc and they incorporate speed, attitude and a lot of power. “Come Dance With Me” is a dreadful and weak ballad in which the band sounds more like a pop act than a glam/sleaze band. That also goes for the song “The Love Of Rock’n’Roll” which totally lacks attitude and edge and sounds like only melodic rock. Another disappointment is “Since U Been Gone” where it feels like the band plays the same thing over and over again. It feels like the band has a lot to work on before they are ready to release a second album.



The lyrics are a bunch of clichés that are repeated again and again and sometimes if feels like the lyrics are written by a teenager. The most positive thing with ROCK N ROLL OVERDOSE is the production made by the genius Chris Laney. He has put great pressure on the vocals and the guitars sound mean and nasty. Once again, Laney has done a great job. There are a few good tracks but they are too few to make the album stand out. I really hope that the band can adjust the things I have written about before they even think of releasing a second album.



http://www.myspace.com/vanityblvd

http://www.sonybmg.se