Give Me the Fear

"Harley metal" (AC/DC, early Guns N' Roses, etc.) made a comeback of sorts in the late '90s, with the emergence of such outfits as Nashville Pussy and Buckcherry. And the movement carried over into the new millennium, as evidenced by additional up-and-comers like the Tokyo Dragons quartet, which specializes in crunchy riffs and whiskey-soaked vocals. There's not a heck of a lot of new ground to be broken in this genre, but that doesn't stop the Dragons from cranking the Marshalls up to ten and giving it the old college try, as evidenced by their full-length debut, 2005's Give Me the Fear. As with most bands that attempt to re-create Highway to Hell, the lyrics tend to get, well, moronic at times, and Tokyo Dragons are a prime example on such tracks as "Do You Wanna?" (which is an amped-up invite to "get high"). And whereas the aforementioned bands had a gift for penning instantly memorable songs, the Dragons still need some work in that area. But you can't deny the rockin' good time the band whips up on such standouts as "Let It Go" and "Burn On." Also, you have to respect any new rock band of the early 21st century whose members have the chutzpah to grow mustaches.