STEEL PANTHER – Heavy Metal Rules

Heavy Metal Rules is the fifth full-length studio release from American Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band Steel Panther.  If you somehow have not managed to hear of Steel Panther, then they may come across as quite shocking, and difficult to define.  On the one hand, they almost seem like a comedy team, dedicated to parodying the excesses of the Sunset Strip era.  They wear wigs and makeup, and spandex and ripped shirts.  Their lyrical content runs from offensive and irreverent, to downright pornographic, all the while being tongue in cheek and over the top.  On the other, while they look and sound very much like an 80s hair metal band tribute, they are actually stellar musicians with great songs, a killer live show, and top-notch production.  When you stop laughing at the shenanigans, they have had some truly memorable hooks that definitely stick with you.  Heavy Metal Rules is no exception.

The only thing missing really is some of the fun.  While the lyrics are usually about partying and having fun, many of these tracks have a middle finger in the air to whomever the song addresses.  The first single, and opening track “All I Wanna Do Is Fuck (Myself Tonight)” is about them being so sexy that girls have to be hotter than them or they will just fuck themselves.  Funny in concept but comes off with a different vibe than their usual stuff.  “Fuck Everybody” is pretty self-explanatory.  “Always Gonna Be A Ho”, and “Sneaky Little Bitch” are about dating cheating women.  Heavy Metal Rules is a well-produced and great sounding record, and the songs are good, but the vibe is less fun than usual.  The bands’ press release says that they intended it to fly in the face of political correctness, but a big part of Steel Panther’s charm is home much fun they are, and Heavy Metal Rules doesn’t quite hit that mark.

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