www.needleinthegroove.co.uk: Nötorious

Friday 3 May 2019

Nötorious - 'Seducer' EP Review

NOTÖRIOUS – Seducer EP

NOTÖRIOUS are located around Bergen, Norway. The bands PR bumf states that “The band was formed in the beginning of 2018 with the intention to bring back to life the classic sound of the hard rock/glam metal bands that ruled the Sunset Strip back in the early 1980s. The band is inspired by classic groups like Mötley Crüe, Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force, Europe, Scorpions, Skid Row and Poison.” I’m going to add Love Fist to that list.

Well….bloody hell! I’ve banged on about up and coming bands doing their homework if they are setting out their stall for a genre that had its heyday with the advent of MTV and was all but dead by 1991. I’m talking about hair/glam metal. Anyway, Notorious have definitely done their homework. Ok, so the sound isn’t original, but what they have done is pretty much knocked this EP out of the park. All the fore-mentioned bands are present and that in itself is great.

Right from the opening riff of ‘Nötorious’ I’m salivating at the prospect of what is to come, and ho-lee-shit these Norwegian metallers do not let me down. I’ve probably got gig tees older than these guys, but they live and breathe hair metal to the core. The riff is superb, the chorus catchy, and the guitar solo from Nikki DeCato is everything you want it to be. Chris Houdini on Vocals hits all the right notes, and its rhythm section just powers it along. (I’m guessing the lads are using pseudonyms!)

‘Friday Night (Get Ready)’ is early era Mötley Crüe only with better vocals, and having Yngwie on guitar. ‘Seducer’ sounds as if The Cult had a threesome with Ratt and Dokken, and the outcome is this! ‘Have A Good Time’ is the first song that’s not as up to the standard of the others, and it’s a bit of a plodder, but that’s only because they started off so well. Final track ‘Tonight (Gonna Get It)’ is a leaf out of Vinnie Vincent’s Invasion, like ‘Boyz Are Gonna Rock’. It’s a great closer.

Considering this genre was THE ONE to beat in the 80s, lots of bands have tried, and failed to match up to the hedonistic sound of glam metal. Even bands that were the glam forerunners haven’t written songs as good as they did back in the day. I’m not saying that Nötorious have written 80s worthy anthems, but what they have done is epitomise the sound of glam metal, and as far as the last few years have gone, Notorious make for one hell of a promising career. UK festivals take notice, as Nötorious are going to level your stages, take your girlfriends, and leave you begging for mercy!

All they have to do next is come up with enough songs for an album, perfect the Scorpions pyramid, piss against the walls of The Alamo, and they are admitted to the glam rock alumni.

The production is meaty, beefy, big and (you guessed it), bouncy!

One for glam metal purists, and the V-Rock generation. Plus, any band that has umlauts in its name, gets my vote!

Score 28 out of 331/3 (or 8.5/10)

Review by Paul Chesworth

The band consists of:
Chris Hoüdini – lead vocals
Nikki DiCato – guitar/backing vocals
Andy Sweet – bass/backing vocals
Freddy Kixx – drums

Link to their music:
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQK1tnXzBf9OugOA2FRwz1g

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3tWDNG6WIlioWYh01xHWJ1?si=CsQ2ZniTTsma8ItLAs7WSQ
Facebook: @notoriousbandofficial

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ABOUT ME

I was brought up on my dad's record collection of rock 'n' roll greats. He was a Teddy Boy and had all the gear (and hair) - drain pipe trousers, jacket, crepe shoes. We listened to Elvis, Bill Hailey, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, Fats Domino, Tommy Steel, and the big names from the sixties such as Dave Clark Five, Wayne Fontana, Dave Dee (etc.,). This music was the kind that you would listen to to rebel against and annoy your parents; it was rough, wild, and the Ted's had a reputation.

So, fast forward to the end of the 70's. I was about 12 when it was the thing to choose your musical stance. It had to be a good choice as there was no going back. You had to be a mod, or a rocker back around 1980. I had a mate (still do, just the one mind) and he was an influence with regards to my musical tastes (and we still go gigging together to this day), and what with my dad's influence I chose the rocker route. I've never looked back. We (me and dad) both started a musical journey where our parents hated what we listened to! In fact, being a teenager in the mid 50s, it wasn't any different to being a teenager in the late 70's/early 80's with regards to rebellion. Although in my era, you couldnt get rickets.

I was fed strictly on a cassette diet of Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Rush and Rainbow. From there it expanded into melodic rock and hair metal - Journey, Foreigner, Stryper, Ratt, Motley Crue, and Dokken. And Prog!

I absorbed all I could. I was a human sponge. The internet was eons away, so I got my fix via a wonderful weekly paper called 'Sounds.' It covered a lot of genres, but they specialised in Rock! I read it every week without fail for about three years. I loved the way their reporters wrote articles. It was like they were talking directly to me. It's how I try to do the same today. When it stopped, I moved with the crowd and subscribed to 'Kerrang!' A lot of the 'Sounds' crew moved across, and it felt like home. I wanted to know more about what was happening over in the U.S. So I subscribed to 'Hit Parader' - it was shite really, the articles weren't great, but the pictures were good. Plus I could follow the Dokken feud between Don and George. Thirty odd years later, they still hate each other! Today, its a diet of 'Classic Rock' Mag, sometimes 'Prog Mag', 'Fireworks' and 'Planet Rock' mag.

My enjoyment of this music has never waned. I see the same people time and again and its a great community. I try to get to as many gigs as I can still as its much better than sitting on your arse reviewing. I hope you enjoy the blog!

Paul Chesworth