CD Review: Salems Lott

Photo provided by Monroe Black

From the decadence of the Sunset Strip to the land of the rising sun, Salems Lott could be described as Hollywood’s new vampires or what would emerge if an earthquake swallowed Motley Crue, Hanoi Rocks, Kiss, W.A.S.P., Yngwie Malmsteen, Loudness and X Japan. The results are four vintage creatures spewed from the earth’s time machine decked in leather, lace and makeup crisscrossing glam and kabuki with hair teased light socket-style. They bring the best androgynous pieces of 70s/80s glam with a 80s to early 90s thrash fist.

The Lott are Monroe Black on vocals and guitar (think a horror movie morph of Britny Fox, Jani Lane and Vince Neil). Kay, who sports the zombified looks of Mick Mars and Kayako Saeki from The Grudge on bass and vocals, Tony F. Corpse (a wicked cross of Cher, Dani Filth and Shagrath) drummer on the skins, human and otherwise and Jett Black, on lead guitar and vocals (Nikki Sixx meets Blackie Lawless).

SL embodies a Shout at the Devil Crue playing a rabid cacophony of speed metal and glam ballads in visual kei style, with tastes of Iron Maiden and classic, symphonic metal, led by the Destruction/Overkill inspired raspy delivery of Black.

The CD is comprised of seven tunes that combine most metal styles into one self-titled debut EP. Part homage to the Sunset kings and the Japanese arena packers, and part nostalgia perhaps, but they merge the best of the American 80s metal scene with music from the Far East. Like Steel Panther, they started a few decades after their forefather’s keeping the booze-laden road of decadence ablaze.

“Wings of Duress” starts with a mix of speed metal, raspy vocals and classical solos. Their YouTube video “No Choice to Love” is W.A.S.P. and LA sleaze glam wrapped up and aqua-net sprayed with the first dose of visual kei. “Smoke & Mirrors” is a 80s, early 90s thrash mash with Kreator harsh vocals. The atmospheric “Atlas” is full of Iron Maiden riffs and Pink Floyd cosmic bass lines. “Black Magic” has a cultish 70s vibe with a “sprinkling” of blatant subliminal messages and Malmsteen solos.

The other YouTube video, shot on the beach but definitely no ballad “S.S.”(Sonic Shock) shouts at the devil with rapid fire everything, flame licked metal and a splash of gutter trash punk. Sort of what black metal would look like next to the ocean as Point Break met Mad Max with a “glam band” coming dangerously close to blast beating. Vocals go old school thrash with a taste of Testament. Don’t know what ya got till it’s been kicked, beaten, torn apart, set on fire and thrown to the raging waters.

“Twilight Tease” watches the sun come up and go down in the west ending with tranquil, acoustic dawn and dusk goodbyes.