SNEW is, almost too fittingly, a hard rock outfit coming out of Hollywood, CA. From the moment you pick up their second album, We Do What We Want, you can pretty much guess where this thing is going to go. You’ve got this AC/DC, Kiss, Motorhead vibe going on, and that certainly doesn’t change when you press play either. For a 80s hair metal fan like myself, I was excited to check this one out by appearance alone.
So what does SNEW stand for? Well the band won’t say, but “Sorta New” seems about right. If imitation is the best form of flattery, then there should be a lot of bands that are flattered by We Do What We Want. These guys are certainly hard rock lovers, and definitely seem to be having a good time doing it. For me, it comes off as too over the top though.
There is no doubt that SNEW know what they want to do, and they do a pretty good job of doing it, but they seem to try a bit too hard. The vibe is totally there, and with song titles like “We Do What We Want”, “Get Loud”, and “Who the Hell Are You” they certainly have the right attitude for this. You get the wailing guitar solos out of Andy Lux that are a must, though I want there to be more and bigger, but his choice in hats might mike up for that. The toughest part is the vocals though. Curtis Don Vito wails and screeches and generally does his best Brian Johnson, but at times it’s really just too much. The screeching becomes excessive and there are just too many little extras to the point that it becomes uncomfortable.
SNEW’s hearts are definitely in the right place with their idea. They have the foundation down, which is really where so many others have failed, but readjusting the focus a little would go a long way. Taking a step back with the vocals and a step forward with the guitars would do wonders I think. I can’t imagine anything but a full on party every time SNEW hits the stage. If you want a rocking good time, SNEW’s is definitely going to bring that. Maybe a live release should be in the cards next?
Hot Tracks: We Do What We Want, Private Stash, Get Loud
Kevin Kozel - Sr. MuzikReviews.com Staff
July 11, 2010
