CJ Sleez
Back from the Brink
Spinerazor
I picked this CD out of the review bin for the same reason I picked up the first Runaways album back in high school; there was a a hot chick on the cover and she’s in the band. When I picked up that Runaways record, girls playing rock and roll was considered a joke. The Runaways may have been a bunch of teenage girls, but their music was raw, primal and pretty damned good.
When I listened to Back from the Brink for this review, I was struck by those same qualities. Sleez plays raw, buzzsaw rock and roll that’s not meant to be pretty. The six tunes reflect a life on the brink of self-destruction. It’s the same sort of abandon you associate with classic Iggy Pop, Hole or… the Runaways. The best thing I can say about this disc is that it’s over too soon. Six songs just aren’t enough. (Actually, there is a seventh tune. If you pop the disc in your computer, you can see the video for “Backdoor Tease.”)
Spinerazor Records: http://www.spinerazor.com
