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Fatal Smile: 21st Century Freaks

(Melodic) Heavy Metal

3.75/5.0

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FS Records
by Craig Hartranft,  05.07.2012

Visiting Fatal Smile's you find some rather interesting and funny quotes from others about the band. Blackie Lawless (WASP) says the band 'is a kick ass band but I would never tour with them again!' Eddie Jackson of Queensryche noted: 'I don´t know what the hell these guys are on, they never stop! They´re f*cking crazy!' Rikk Scholvinck, the tour manager for Lordi ranted, 'They´re off the f*cking tour! Get them out of here! Now!' I'm not sure what that was all about. But I'll bet there's a great, and funny, story behind it.

Fatal Smile: do they remind you of another band?

That first paragraph was as much for introduction as for color. Check the picture, add the words, you may get a visual. Fatal Smile is pretty much a heavy metal band, melodic with a touch of Eighties sleaze. Their 2008 release, World Domination was a power record of the same. But, I'm not sure about this year's 21st Century Freaks.

The first several songs, Welcome to the Freakshow, Nailed to the Wall, and Raising Hell in Heaven, have that rock groove, sleaze attitude, and catchy hooks in the heavy metal context. Essential Fatal Smile. Then other songs are simply heavy, and metal like overbearing Judgment Day or moderately satisfying Break These Chains. Innocent and, maybe, Take It to the Limit find Fatal Smile bounce back to their core sound. The album rounds out with an average ballad, For the Last in Line.

Ultimately, I think 21st Century Freaks would grow on me, if I could convince myself to queue it up again. So I guess the conclusion is that the album is good, but not groundbreaking, generally classic Fatal Smile, but not on the same level with World Domination. Nevertheless, it has its strong points, and I think fans will dig it. And, yes, I'll probably spin it again. Recommended.

Mostly heavy, and not quite the catchy sleaze metal of their previous album, 21st Century Freaks still finds Fatal Smile in good form.

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The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]