Insight & Critique
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact

Madam's Animal - Pray For Noise

6/30/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Madam's Animal

Pray For Noise
self-released; 2016

​3.7 out of 5

By J Simpson

​
Glam's a funny thing - simultaneously exploitative and escapist while also empowering and liberating. '80s glam, mostly in the form of hair metal and arena rock, is built around images of nearly naked women and coked out men, while 21st century glam has taken a more liberationist angle, eschewing the politics and focusing on feeling good and having a good time.

​As usual, with 21st century retrospect, modern glam rockers offer a critical reevaluation of former eras, like the way Yacht Rock has brought about a renaissance of '80s lite rock like Hall And Oates or Pat Benatar. On Pray For Noise, the NYC quartet Madam's Animals have achieved the nearly impossible - making '80s hair metal/arena rock like Guns 'N Roses or Van Halen sound exciting and contemporary, while still remaining in line with the energy of the originals.

This is largely due to the fact that Madam's Animal isn't trying to fit into a particular cookie cutter mood or genre. Instead, they're focusing on having a good time and plying the feel good, infectious, melodic hard rock they clearly love so much!

A lot of Pray For Noise's success comes from the production and engineering, impressively and ambitiously handled in-house by Madam's Animal themselves. Each and every element hangs in a rugged equilibrium: rhythm guitars, courtesy of Sean Hanley, are thick as an undiluted milkshake, occasionally launching into bouts of fretboard inspiration, like on album closer “Explode.” Meanwhile, the drums are sharp, tight, taut and focused, cutting through the mix like a hurricane of knitting needles. It all comes together to create a compelling bedrock for Benjamin Raffali's vintage lead vocals, improving on the trebly leads forged by frontmen like Axl Rose or David Lee Roth, occasionally veering into some chorus-y grunge territory, like the first couple of Alice In Chains records.

It's an attractive and compelling slice of revisionist history. For those that wonder what Use Your Illusion III might've sounded like, or what the rockscape could've been had Axl Rose not lost his damn mind (although that particular breakdown yielded some pretty entertaining and compelling tangents), you'll be in heaven, thanking the Gods of rock as you Pray For Noise!
Become A Fan
Tweet
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

       Critique/insight

    We are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent  music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.

    Tweets by divideanconqer
    Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook


    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

Company

About
Contributors

Newsletter

Newsletter
Book Your Band

© Divide and Conquer 2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact