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Julian Angel's Beautiful Beast: Kick Down ...
Julian Angel's Beautiful Beast - Kick Down the Barricades CD Album Review

Julian Angel's Beautiful Beast: Kick ...

Melodic Hard Rock/Metal
3.0/5.0

Guitarist Julian Angel makes not apologies for the music of his Beautiful Beast. He wants to deliver hair metal like it's still 1989 on their third album Kick Down the Barricades.

Julian Angel's Beautiful Beast - Kick Down the Barricades Band Photo

Julian Angel's Beautiful Beast: hair today.

But here's the thing: I was there, back in the day, before, during, and after the rise and fall of glam, sleaze, and hair metal. And I don't remember it being this darn boring or derivative. Well, that's wrong, as by 1989 this music was derivative, with every band ripping off every other band, from looks to licks, hair spray to spandex.

Don't get me wrong. Angel and his cohorts get the music, style, and attitude of the era and genre. Angel's a decent songwriter, average singer, but better guitarist. With few exceptions, all these songs sound like warmed over leftovers from a bygone day: lost tapes of studio recordings of the ubiquitous Sunset Strip band that never quite made it, and should have stayed lost in the box in the basement behind the box of spandex pants and hair spray. The positives to this album are two-fold: Angel's guitar leads and the simple fact that there's not a single ballad here. Otherwise, the single best track: Shock'em Dead. Dust off your Motley Crue or Poison records and play them instead. Nuff said.


Julian Angel's Beautiful Beast - Bad Boys Never Dance





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In Short

Julian Angel's Beautiful Beast wants you to rock like it still 1989 with their nostalgic, often dull, hair metal.

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