RSS Feed


SĀLEMS LOTT
Mask Of Morality

Rēd Moon (2018)
Rating: 7/10

It’s time for brutal honesty. I really don’t know what to make of Sālems Lott? Having grown up and grown my hair through an era where W.A.S.P., Lizzy Borden, Twisted Sister, Mötley Crüe et al provided the soundtrack, I’m not sure if this Californian freak show is aimed at people like me, with a penchant for shock rock, or young kids who still think emo crap and Black Veil Brides are the “in thing”.

I wasn’t overly convinced by the band’s 2015 self-titled debut EP, which was caught somewhere between the riff-heavy glories of early Crüe and yet suffered in the vocal department at times, particularly with tracks such as ‘No Choice To Love’ where the parade seemed somehow stuck in nostalgic yet ineffective limbo.

I asked myself if these hairsprayed horrors would have the same appeal without the glam rock, blood ‘n’ sweat image, and I’m still asking the same questions today as the band’s debut opus lands on me fully armed with lipstick, leather and paint.

Mask Of Reality provides ten tracks of unadulterated schlock, whether in the form of emotionally-charged epic ballad ‘Shattered To Pieces’, with its typically 80s “hair metal” design, or the straight up rocker ‘You Can’t Hide From The Beast Inside’, which is rather glossy and contemporary musically.

The latter initially rushes like some sort of glamourised power metal anthem, distinctly European until the howls of Monroe Black come into the fray. But even then it’s a familiar gallop that’s actually a world away from the joyous, sticky yet often raw glam rejects of the 80s. Instead, there’s an air of the manufactured. Hard to believe then that ‘You Can’t Hide From The Beast Inside’ is a cover of a 1985 Autograph gem that appeared on the Fright Night movie soundtrack.

And that’s my problem, because for all the frills – and there are numerous, like ‘Gestapo (Enigma’), ‘When Heaven Comes Down’ and ‘Mother Of Chains’ – there’s clearly an influence of Japanese rock and an all-too-modern feel which seems to have been constructed with a teenage audience in mind. I could be wrong, but tracks such as ‘Royal Desperado’ suggests a band in rock ‘n’ roll limbo. One moment they’re chugging hard with a strong Crüe vibe, but the raps of Monroe are at times less convincing. And yet in spite of the numerous, obvious flaws, here’s a band that if left to their own devices can provide thought-provoking metal as expressed on the impressive closer ‘Alexandria’s Genesis’.

Indeed, the band is very much heavy in their structures and the influences are there for all to see, whether it’s in the archetype gang chants or the sicklier sweet glam metal stomps and darker guitar tones that harken back to the days of lesser known shock rockers Krank or Witch.

But for me something is missing, and that “something” may well be what the band evolves into with time. For now though, I’m still on the fence; not exactly swayed by the look or the vibe, but still open-minded enough to let the mimicry soak in. However, while those old W.A.S.P. albums and the like are still around, Sālems Lott will always play second fiddle. Now, if only that sound was a bit dirtier.

Neil Arnold

<< Back to Album & EP Reviews



Related Posts via Categories
Share