michael monroe sensory overdrive

Released: 14 March 2011 Label: Spinefarm UK

This pleasantly surprising release from former Hanoi Rocks front man Michael Monroe, readily demonstrates that this versatile Finnish vocalist hasn’t lost his chops or ability to kick it out after 30+ years of belting out kick-ass rock n’ roll music.

Collaborating with veteran guitarists Steve Conte and punk bad boy Ginger, (The Wildhearts) drummer Karl “Rockfist” Rosqvist, and  bassist Sami Yaffa, (Murphy’s Law, Jetboy) the proto-punk “Iggy and The Stooges” style edge is readily apparent on this record, but not shocking, considering the impressive punk resumes of Ginger and Yaffa.

Opening track Trick of the Wrist and track three, Got Blood? - are jittery, amped up little numbers which deliver sound slaps to the eardrums, and an incentive to get up off your hindquarters and turn the volume knob up a bit.

Modern Day Miracle is a tense, wired, antagonistic fist pumper with a madly infectious chorus and an aggressive, “in your grill” delivery. Bombs Away features clean, wailing, bluesy guitar that’s sound, solid, and cuts through the center of the song like a well oiled miter saw. The entire album is gritty, dirty fun, with a bit of a tongue-in-cheek vibe that takes itself just seriously enough... but not too much so.

An appearance by country singer Lucinda Williams gives a warm, rustic compliment to Gone Baby Gone in a manner that actually works quite nicely to deliver a sweet little tune laced with a dash of feel-good Americana, despite the seemingly odd pairing of Monroe and Williams. If someone had informed me last month that I’d soon be enjoying a tune featuring these two personalities together, I might have accused them of smoking something dodgy.

The most delicious surprise of all comes with track eleven, Debauchery Is a Fine Art where the trademark “rusty chain being dragged through a dirty ashtray” vocals of none other than Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister procure a guest spot. A veritable feast for the senses, without a trace of doubt! Heck, you could throw Lemmy on top of a steaming pile of dog offal, and it would suddenly become cool, but it just so happens, Sensory Overdrive was already cool, and Lemmy’s guest appearance just provided the proverbial climax to an already extremely adequate musical offering.

There has never been any lack of musicians out there capitalizing off of the “punk/rock/glam/blues” hybrid style of music that tends to get no shortage of airplay with most markets, and even when done marginally well, is still catchy and easy to listen to. Michael Monroe has consistently risen above the herd in that genre for the entire span of his career, and has always backed his signature raspy vox with solid musicianship, and no shortage of creativity. In other words, he’s the real deal in a scene where so many come and go, barely leaving a lipstick stain, a memorable hit song, or a name you can remember, behind them.

Well done.

by Aline Miladinovich