Your attention please! Stop what you’re doing and put on a song or two of Smoking Snakes’ debut album “Danger Zone”. Don’t worry, I’m waiting for you to continue this review together…
Fantastic band…isn’t it? The Swedish outfit managed to release one of the best hard rock records in recent years by maintaining a high level of compositions throughout the duration of the album. Personally, the band particularly reminded of Crashdiet’s aesthetic and more specifically that of the sublime “Rest in Sleaze”. So as you can understand, we’re talking about an album that harkens back to the good days of the genre with Smoking Snakes putting their heart and soul into it, recording 11 sleaze rock n’ roll dynamites and projecting a clear desire to take no prisoners on their path. In other words, Smoking Snakes has everything a new band should possess to stand out in the chaotic modern world. All of the songs are well-crafted down to the last detail with close attention to the gang backing vocals in the choruses. We are talking here about songs aimed towards arenas and fans below singing their hearts out! Get the picture? Furthermore, I can’t overlook the fact that they also slightly take something out of WASP’s early period in terms of anthemic choruses. So, as you can see, Smoking Snakes not only made a strong impression on me but managed to lay a strong foundation and a nomination for one of the best albums of the year!
When Frontiers gives a fighting chance to new bands that really have something to say, I honestly feel optimistic about the future of hard rock. Smoking Snakes displays a true hope for rock n’ roll and “Danger Zone” is an album that can be a ray of light for future releases. Well done, guys!
Highlight: Just a mere look at the cover sleeve, you get a perfectly good idea on what this band is all about…
