Paul Lidel might be best known as the singer/ guitarist for Dangerous Toys. This album has a lot to live up to from the press release which describes it as a concoction of the best bits from Aerosmith, GnR and Van Halen – and that’s absolutely right and you can add in early Kiss too. This more than anything is a ‘guitar’ album. Paul has a strong voice but it’s the rhythm and lead guitar parts that hit hard and heavy.
Opener Are You Ready swaggers and riffs away with a Kiss big chorus and it’s just electric. But then somehow it gets even better with the even more Kiss- like We Got Rock ‘n’ Roll which is every bit as fabulous as you hope it will be. But honestly, the fist pumping chorus alone leaves you smiling. And so it goes on. Burning At Both Ends is a firecracker of a track and then they up the intensity somehow for Hang On.
Bend My Will sees the GnR influences burning brightly but I am more sold on the searing riffing of Never Satisfied. The first real break in the sequence comes with the rolling rhythms of Black Hearted Helene which vibes out in Aerosmith style for sure. You always want to leave the listener wanting more and Stop At Nothing is one of those songs, a sharp incisive summary of what Paul and his band can do. This is a very enjoyable album with at least one song of the year on it in We Got Rock ‘n’ Roll.