WARRANT – ROCKAHOLIC: Hard Rock Glory Has Risen Again!
WARRANT – With a new vocalist in place to front the multi-million selling Hard Rock band we all know and embrace as Warrant, Rockaholic (Frontiers Records) comes at me with a new-found attitude and revved up Hard Rock sound that crunches. Robert Mason (Lynch Mob, Cry Of Love) is now the voice behind Warrant and it’s a return to Hard Rock glory for this group. The stereotypical Hair Metal posturing of years gone by is not the sheen of elegance anymore with Warrant, instead Rockaholic comes at me with more Hard Rock relevance than I ever could have expected.
With original members Jerry Dixon (bass), Erik Turner (rhythm guitar), Joey Allen (lead guitar) and Steven Sweet (drums), the backing vocals they all provide on Rockaholic lends a cool-fueled, feel-good atmosphere and tribute to their legendary Hair Metal roots. The ballad Home reminds me that Warrant still has the fever for making a memorable tear jerker. An inspirational ballad it is, the lyrics aren’t sappy… they just hit home. A well written ballad that has substance… and ballads don’t usually impress me. This one does.
Candy Man is a groovy Rocker that hits on all melodic cylinders. A song that is heavy and filled with gimme more hooks, I can understand if Candy Man becomes a strip club favorite. Sunshine has the up-tempo and sing-a-long savvy to be a live favorite. Something about Sunshine makes it a cool candidate for a beer drinking song for some reason. Sunshine is yet another song on Rockaholic that proves these Warrant dudes know a thing or two about playing some good time Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Life’s A Song has Robert Mason giving Jon Bon Jovi a run for his Hard Rock money. This song should hopefully be on Warrant’s live set list for their 2011 Summer gigs. Cocaine Freight Train embodies the heavier personality of Warrant, with a pedal to the Metal tempo and guitar licks that resonate Classic Rock Americana. What Love Can Do is all about the good-time vibes. Crank this song up, roll down the windows and let the breeze hit you in the face while Warrant makes your lazy day cruise Rock! Metal be thy name, this Warrant album is Hard Rock goodness.
Rockaholic is 14 songs, which have the Rockin’ bookends of Sex Ain’t Love opening and The Last Straw closing out. Both of these songs are critical for Sex Ain’t Love sets the Hard Rockin’ tone of Rockaholic from the onset, while The Last Straw makes me wish this album would go on for another six songs or more. Metal be thy name once again. Ring that Hard Rock bell of glory and tell ’em Stone told you to do so.
Dusty’s Revenge resonates with it’s Rock ‘n’ Roll outlaw sound, courtesy of Joey and Erik’s guitars and Robert’s vocals. This is perhaps my favorite song on Rockaholic, being carried by Robert’s vocals that embody the essence and mystique of a Classic Hard Rock performance. If there is to be more praise handed out here, it’s that Warrant is one band from the late 80’s era that knew how to evolve as a band. Did someone say bubble gum? I respond by saying kiss my Metal lovin’ ass. Warrant Rocks.
The hardened sound of Warrant today coupled with Robert Mason’s vocals, makes this entire album scream: It’s a new beginning! Warrant has surprised me with Rockaholic, fans of Warrant should surely be psyched-out of their minds by this new album. Even those few who may have shunned Warrant over the decades, just might realize, Rockaholic is a Hard Rock powerhouse of an album after just one listen. This is a band that never buckled under to nuthin’ and their fired-up and rejuvenated brand of Hard Rock is in the here and now. Warrant is back… and that is a Hard Rockin’ matter of fact!
* Rockaholic releases on May 13th in Europe and May 17th in the U.S., on Frontiers Records.
* Rockaholic was produced by Keith Olsen and mixed by Pat Regan.
Rockaholic Track Listing:
Sex Ain’t Love
Innocence Gone
Sanke
Dusty’s Revenge
Home
What Love Can Do
Life’s A Song
Show Must Go On
Cocaine Freight Train
Found Forever
Candy Man
Sunshine
Tears In The City
The Last Straw
* For more info on WARRANT, click on the link below:
LONG LIVE WARRANT.
Stone.
Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog 
May 9, 2011 at 5:06 am
This sounds like a good album. I’ll have to put it on my birthday request list next month.
May 9, 2011 at 9:23 am
I won’t stop you from putting it on your B’day list! I have a strong feeling you will really dig this “new” Warrant. \m/
May 9, 2011 at 3:36 pm
The only Warrant album I have is Dirty, Rotten, Stinking, Rich. How does this new album compare to that?
May 9, 2011 at 8:52 pm
In my Metal opinion, it’s like comparing beer to ale. The Jani Lane fronted Warrant of that era and album was bona-fide Hair Metal which had cool, commercially accessible and fun songs. “Rockaholic” is the ale… this album has more “bite” and “kick”… the songs are more edgier, harder and very relevant to what “today’s” Hard Rock sound is about.
I’ll always like that “arena vibe” heard in those first two Warrant albums, yet the vibe from Rockaholic is more “street-wise” and yes, mature as well, than that early sound of Warrant. Again, it’s my opinion… \m/
May 10, 2011 at 4:15 am
Good enough for me, it will definitely go down on my birthday list
May 25, 2011 at 5:49 am
Much better than I thought it would be. Read my full review here: http://realgonerocks.blogspot.com/2011/05/warrant-rockaholic.html