Glam_Junkie's Sleaze Ball - Best of 2012

[glam_junkie]

Glam_Junkie's Sleaze Ball Top 20 of 2012

 

https://www.facebook.com/thesleazeball

 

 

20. Sleazy RoXxX - "Spread To Pink" (Czech)

Essential Listen: "Under Magenta Sky"

 

19. Shiraz Lane - "Lights Out" (Fin)

Essential Listen: "Long Time Coming"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBtAESspg6M

 

18. Billion Dollar Babies - "House of Dreams Pt.1" (Swe)

Essential Listen: "In The Back of My Limousine"

http://www.reverbnation.com/billiondoll ... -limousine

 

17. Adler - "Back From The Dead" (USA)

Essential Listen: "The One That You Hated"

 

16. PEEPSHOW - "Brand New Breed" (UK)

Essential Listen: "Let Go"

 

15. Kings & Kerosene - "s/t" (Fin)

Essential Listen: "War of the Roses"

 

14. Laced In Lust - "Fire" (Aust)

Essential Listen: "On Parole"

 

13. Loudguns - "Broken Highway" (Fin)

Essential Listen: "Hit n Run"

 

12. Cyanide 4 - "Every Day Is A Masquerade" (Greece)

Essential Listen: "Hide In The Shadows"

 

11. Casablanca - "Apocolyptic Youth" (Swe)

Essential Listen: "Beast of Summer"

http://soundcloud.com/nohfap/casablanca-beast-of-summer

[glam_junkie]

#10

Confess - The Gin Act

 

These guys don’t have a name as recognisable as some of the other Swedish sleaze heavy weights, but they are definitely knocking on the door to this upper echelon. ‘The Gin Act’ is one killer slab of solid sleaze rock that continually moved up my Top 20 every time i put in the disc for a listen. Confess cds are available thru sliptrick records.

 

Essential listening: Get Wasted

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5VgVqIYcEw

 

 

#9

Lovebite - Lock N Load

 

This 4-some from the UK were on my radar for quite a while after hearing some demos they posted a couple of years back. Their brand of glam-infused sleaze rocks takes the best bits of these 2 areas of hard rock resulting in an almost Vain-meets-Posion vibe.

 

Essential listening: Lock N Load

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIN5s01hCR0

 

 

#8

B.I.T.E - Rock Into The Night

 

Wow... blink and you’ll miss them. That was the case with these guys from Sao Paulo, Brazil who released this “more-80s than the 80s” hard rock album and then disbanded just as quickly. With catchy melodies and choruses reminiscent of late 80s Bon Jovi and Kiss these guys looked to be a band to keep an eye on. Unfortunately legal issues have made this cd near impossible to lay your hands, although it’s currently available for free download at BITE's bandcamp page

 

Essential listening: Burning My Heart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqCgJzaYai0

 

 

#7

Crazy Lixx - Riot Avenue

 

Some may be surprised to see this one down at number 7, but whilst it’s still a great album in my opinion I don’t think it lived up to the level of it’s predecessors. Not quite as polished as the bands last couple of efforts, it still had some massive roaring choruses, but at times i failed to get past the artificial dirty production sound... similar to Crashdiet of 2013.

 

Essential Listening: Riot Avenue

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5taSMfEdh8

 

 

#6

Baby Jane - In The Spotlight

 

Sometimes bands make it near impossible to get your hands on their cd at a reasonable price (although i see these guys now have a webstore on the website). But after much effort i managed to land this gem. And... boy was it worth the wait. The aggressive element to Baby Jane’s style of sleaze just hits all the right spots for me.

 

Essential listening: My Behaviour

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3guD9rnOTQ

[glam_junkie]

#5

Valerie - s/t

What more can i say.... these boys impress the hell outta me. Roaring choruses, top notch melodies and some ripping guitars. Summer time on CD. Very nice production completes the package. Look out for these youngsters in the future.

Essential Listening: When Two Hearts Collide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiTRRNGM4T8

 

#4

ToxicRose - s/t

This is where it get’s really tricky for me. Any of the top 4 could have taken out the top prize. Toxic Rose burst onto the scene after forming from the ashes of Lipstixx n Bullets, Gemini 5 and Sexy Death, a combination of which perfectly describes their sound. Dirty, loud, sleazy with a definite influence of dark gothic-like synth keys. This debut is only a 5 track disc, but is top marks from start to finish.

Essential listening: A Song For The Weak

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjeM6pxImhQ

 

#3

H.E.A.T - Address The Nation

<Ducks for cover> I know a lot of the H.E.A.T. army out there have been preaching to me that ‘Address the Nation’ was the obvious choice for ‘Album of the Year 2012’. #1 melodic release ... yes... but with ‘sleaze’ being the major attribute of bands featured on this page it’s with this in mind that this disc lands in the #3 position. ‘Address the Nation’ is a stellar keyboard-infused melodic release, which launches with arguably the best song of 2012 ‘Breaking the Silence’. But in terms of taking out the top prize in the sleaze ball awards this album was maybe a bit clean-cut, a bit too polished and could do with some major dirtying-up... but then again... then it wouldn’t be the HEAT we’ve all come to love.

Essential Listening: Breaking The Silence

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj6j-3eFMlA

 

#2

Dynazty - Sultans of Sin

If only the second half of this disc was as good as the first half then I think we could have had a winner. This one starts in an absolute blaze of glory, but I find that the second half of the album doesn’t quite have the same energy or addictive characteristics as the opening. However, the great blend of sleaze and melodic rock, bound together with some almost-metal guitar riffs works sensationally and is sure to appeal to fans of each of these genres. In addition to releasing this gem of an album, and of all the bands I managed to see live in 2012, it was Dynazty who made the biggest impression on me... even if it was only a support slot where a few sleaze fans were lost in a sea of Sabbaton camouflage.

Essential listening: Raise Your Hands

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCyCPPwcrDc

 

#1

Generation of Swine - Fuel N Fire

This one was a definite surprise to come in at the #1 position, but as i listened to the top few albums over and over again, it soon became clear. After picking up the bands demo and EP over the past few years, the debut album ‘Fuel N Fire’ far exceeded all my expectations. Some improved production compared to previous releases (although still lacking a bit of depth when compared to the likes of HEAT and Dynazty) and a great variety of tunes makes this an extremely satisfying serving of rock. Comprising of some straight forward sleazed-up rock tracks, including the title track ‘Fuel N Fire’, the album also heads off into an almost funk infused sleazy swagger at times with tracks such as ‘Want Your Love’ which.... if you like Freakshow-era Bulletboys, you get the idea. The album also contains 2 of what today is becoming a lost art - the mega power ballad. “Another Day” heads down the same road as some vintage Skid Row ballads and I dare to say was the best ballad I heard on all the albums I considered for 2012. The album also has of bit of a dirtier edge with one of my personal favourites ‘It Aint Easy’ whilst at other times taking on an almost Cult-like post-punk heavy rock sound with tracks such as ‘You Weren’t Even There’ and ‘Fast Eddy / Come Get It’. Top off that great range of styles with a fist thumping sleaze anthem like ‘Fatal Attraction’ you begin to see why this album scores the #1 position. It’s solid and engaging from start to finish, maintains a sleazy aura from start to finish, and for these reasons just gained a slight edge over the H.E.A.T and Dynazty discs. I can only imagine what these guys would come up with if they were teamed up with some such as the RamPac team, who were partially responsible for Crashdiet’s ‘Generation Wild’.

 

Essential Listening: It’s Aint’ Easy

Album Sampler:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJwBIE-qXoM

[Glen]

Very nice post with stuff to check out - cheers man. And for the record I agree with loads of your choices!!

[Geoff]

Definitely keen to check out a few of these ones I've not heard. Nice post. The high placement of Valerie is a shock to me, and alternatively, the low placement of Peepshow is an even bigger shock. Curveballs, mate... curve... balls.

[glam_junkie]

I preferred the old peepshow sound without the industrial- type elements.

 

And Valerie was nice, simple, catchy and enjoyable. Not trying to be too pompous like some melodic bands can be. Really liked that disc.

[Glen]

I preferred the old peepshow sound without the industrial- type elements.

 

And Valerie was nice, simple, catchy and enjoyable. Not trying to be too pompous like some melodic bands can be. Really liked that disc.

 

Wow yeah Peepshow round the other way for me!!

[Geoff]

I preferred the old peepshow sound without the industrial- type elements.

 

And Valerie was nice, simple, catchy and enjoyable. Not trying to be too pompous like some melodic bands can be. Really liked that disc.

 

Wow yeah Peepshow round the other way for me!!

 

Yeah, I love both versions of Peepshow, but imo every single thing about the new version is better. Mainly, just better songs - bigger hooks, better riffs etc. But to each their own. I like the debut plenty too.

 

As for Valerie, I just found it really plain. Liked what they were trying to do and I hope they keep at it, but the songs just missed the mark on that debut, imo, of course. As a comparison to another similar new band like Wigelius that same year, not even in the same ballpark, imo.

[Jeff]

I preferred the old peepshow sound without the industrial- type elements.

 

And Valerie was nice, simple, catchy and enjoyable. Not trying to be too pompous like some melodic bands can be. Really liked that disc.

 

Excellent list Lindsay, excellent post. Good to see Cyanide 4 and Casablanca on the list. I really liked both of those.

I probably would have moved the Peepshow out of your top 20 and replaced with with Miss Crazy or Hollywood Burnouts. It's good but I totally agree that their original style is much better.

 

Some other releases from 2012 that would fit your list somewhere if expanded beyond 20: The Last Vegas, Dirty Passion, Nasty Idols, Jettblack

[glam_junkie]

 

 

Excellent list Lindsay, excellent post. Good to see Cyanide 4 and Casablanca on the list. I really liked both of those.

I probably would have moved the Peepshow out of your top 20 and replaced with with Miss Crazy or Hollywood Burnouts. It's good but I totally agree that their original style is much better.

 

Some other releases from 2012 that would fit your list somewhere if expanded beyond 20: The Last Vegas, Dirty Passion, Nasty Idols, Jettblack

 

After the EP the Hollywoods Burnouts album was really disappointing for me. A couple of great songs, but not an album that made a massive impression on me,

 

Dirty Passion was great. Yeah, maybe one i overlook by accident now that i look back at it. (Another i look back and think maybe made the top 20 but sorta got lost was Sisters Doll)

 

Unfortunately i didn't get to hear last vegas new disc, but still wanna get my hands on that one. Same with Miss Crazy.

 

Nasty Idols was pretty good, but not one that made regualr repeat plays for me. Maybe worth dragging out again.

 

Jettblack i ddin't think was as good as their previous effort so maybe didn't rate as high in my mind.

[SUICIDE]

Cool post.

[Nightrain]

nice list mate, as a matter of fact, I didn't know some bands out there you posted, will try to check it out asap

[glam_junkie]

confess are back with a new one...

 

[Geoff]

Holy shit, that's a massive improvement on the EP. I liked the EP plenty enough, but that's a whole new kettle of boiled fish. Very good stuff.

[JamesEagle]

Holy shit, that's a massive improvement on the EP. I liked the EP plenty enough, but that's a whole new kettle of boiled fish. Very good stuff.

 

Lindsay obviously rates it very highly ... posted in at least three threads so far....

 

Does sound good, although I think on balance I still prefer 'Sin & Tonic'.

[glam_junkie]

Holy shit, that's a massive improvement on the EP. I liked the EP plenty enough, but that's a whole new kettle of boiled fish. Very good stuff.

 

Lindsay obviously rates it very highly ... posted in at least three threads so far....

 

Does sound good, although I think on balance I still prefer 'Sin & Tonic'.

 

i posted it in this one by accident when i was looking for the 'random glam sleaze band' thread.

and of course it had to go in the confess thread.

[JamesEagle]

Holy shit, that's a massive improvement on the EP. I liked the EP plenty enough, but that's a whole new kettle of boiled fish. Very good stuff.

 

Lindsay obviously rates it very highly ... posted in at least three threads so far....

 

Does sound good, although I think on balance I still prefer 'Sin & Tonic'.

 

i posted it in this one by accident when i was looking for the 'random glam sleaze band' thread.

and of course it had to go in the confess thread.

 

Only pulling your leg mate. It's a good tune; no harm in posting more than once.

 

New album might be pretty special...