Steel Panther - Balls Out

Tue 1st Nov, 2011 in Music Reviews

One band is still championing the cause of glam rock in all of its glory. That band of course, is Steel Panther, who have once again pushed the boundaries of hilarity, hairstyles, hard rock and stupidity with their latest release – Balls Out.

Packed with songs entitled It Won’t Suck Itself, Just Like Tiger Woods and Let Me Cum In, it’s fair to say that Michael Starr’s lyrical writing is still well…still rooted firmly in the realm of piss taking. Yet looking past the obvious comedic hyperbole found within the albums lyrical content, Balls Out on all levels represents a major step up for the glam rockers, particularly on a technical level.

After surviving the bizarre quasi-sci fi intro In The Future that incoherently rambles about some kind of bizarre storyline involving robots enslaving man in the year 6969 for sexual slavery, Supersonic Sex Machine kicks off the album with a blistering solo from axeman Satchel, before evolving into an infectious, driving groove that sets the tone for the entire album.

Yet no Steel Panther record would be complete without a Def Leppard-esque power ballad to bring back the tempo of the album and Balls Out certainly delivers. For the bands single of the new release, If You Really Really Love Me touchingly recounts how a modern woman can truly demonstrate her love for her man in the vein of previous single Community Property, with subdued acoustic guitars giving way to an outlandish kick-snare rhythm and chunky power chords blending to form a single that could best be described as memorable and possibly lawsuit worthy.

Whilst Balls Out may not be for the easily offended, feint hearted or bald, Steel Panther are back and are still doing what they do best – bringing spandex, big hair and sexual innuendo to the masses in a blaze of glorious hair metal.