Pink Cream 69 - Sonic Dynamite

There's something to be said about a band that can start out so good, go oh so bad, and then turn it back around again before they are remembered only as obscure washed up has-beens that took very few shots at the US market. They were one of the favorites in Germany back in their heyday, popping up at the end of the 80s and near the closure of the glam metal decade, with the young, insantly recognizable and undeniably talented Andi Deris at the vocal helm, and a slew of guitarists and a solid rhythm section to back up some bouncy pop laden metallic hits. Stuff like the repetively gooey "Talk to the Moon", "Take Those Tears" and the rough and tumble "Piggy Back Bitch", were both metal and playfully melodic. But three albums later, Andi departed and it seemed the band were destined for mediocrity and a permenant stay in the discount bins. The band slummed around during the mid 1990s, with some very uninspired and grunged up albums that only the most die hard of fans could stomach. Then for some reason they decided they should be a metal band again and drummed up their grand return in an album titled "Electrified" in 1998, sporting some guest vocalists helping out on a track, like DC Cooper and the then-hot Ralf Scheepers. Sure it was good, but way overhyped. Now two years later, shortly after the curtains came up and revealed that the end of the world was not to come at the stroke of midnight, day one of 2000, and the Y2K bug had been squashed down so bad that it was merely a minor annoyance and didnt stop life as we currently know it... Pink Cream 69 releases a new album, with the name "Sonic Dynamite".

And dynamite it is.

A little more commercial, a tons more polished and benefiting greatly from a more-than solid vocal performance from frontman David Readman, who actually sings like he means it, and adds heaps more personality than what the 'script' calls for this time, in comparison with their "Electrified" release. This album's most notable feature is the lack of a paint-by-numbers approach that has been plaguing so-called "AOR melodic rock" for almost two decades now. The overall sound is warm, rich, and explosive, choruses that ring with conviction and sharp, sweet metallic edges that will satisify even the most skeptical of *metal* fans. The production smacks you swiftly in the face, with crystal clear sounds and where needed, a hefty bottom end that crunches along delightfully. Guitar riffs zing around, zooming from all directions and giving a set in stone backbone to the often radio friendly oriented gooey choruses that bop along predictabily.

Plenty of fresh territory is explored, like in the haunting acoustic opening of "Speed of Light", which turns upon itself in a flash of what is a slight step away from being saddled with the name 'prog speed' metal, with slight distorted vocals and guitars that grind right through the rock bottom and squeal in response to the soaring chorus. Its a slight disturbing for the casual listener, but melds together nicely. Milking their creative side, "Waiting for the Dawn", is still a true slab of heavy metal, crunching down hard with Queensryche-ish upfront and thumping bass, and spray painted with a thick European-classic PC69 sound. However the coats of paint reach deeper than you think, as this song, with all its quirky touches, pours on the addictiveness without anything held back. "Shattered Prophecy" is a tune that I could easily sing in my sleep, having heard it about four dozen times, and its initial magic hasn't rubbed off yet. Very much a hard rock track, there's not much inventive here, being the embodiment of every great AOR tune to come before it, its still extremely enjoyable, and the bouncy rhythm section gives an added flair of heaviness, that shines through especially on the pulsating, dance along choruses and bridges. "The Spirit" is a fine slice of work, and one of the showcase pieces of the album. Prog tinged, and artistically detailed, in the atmospheric chorus and haunting guitar solos. The high point of the song is a soaring short guitar solo who's small sprint through the tune adds so much depth and melds the two pieces of the song together to create one. Touching and beautiful in its own midtempo way. "Spread Your Wings" is a slow moody ballad, delicately lapping, with a no frills Spanish flavored acoustic guitar solo in the middle, which is backed by gorgeous strings. Its very pretty the first few times through, but lacks the emotional power to keep the listener coming back for more. "Let the Thunder Reside" is the only other slow paced song on the album, this one dealing out some of the more typical ballad cliches, like more of those atmospheric strings, and bits of keyboards, but without the heart and soul that makes such things bearable. After hearing so many fantastic songs from the masters of the melodic metal power ballad, the two on "Sonic Dynamite" seem to come up way short, and rather boring and tedious. Not at all bad, they make nice album fillers, but compared to some of the other tracks just feels a bit flat. "Followed By the Moon" is another favorite, with mystical layered guitars, and full vocals that bring the punchy, rich chorus to life.