by Keavin Wiggins
.

Screw the mainstream if you really want to get your rocks off you have to go to the underground. That's just what we plan to do with this series, take some of the best emerging bands that are out blowing away hardcore fans on the underground music scene.

The Erotics � 21st Century S.O.B.
Label: FastLane Records
Rating:

Are you sick of the over polished and produced rock that is ruling the airwaves at the moment? Let's face it Blink-182 and Linkin Park aren't exactly hard-core rock n roll. If you are sick of the slick music being churned out by the major label music factories and like sleazy hard rock with a lot of punk overtones then The Erotics are just what the doctor ordered to cure what ills your yearning ears.

The Erotics down and dirty approach to rock is their biggest appeal. They adhere to the old Ramones formula of keeping it simple and melodic, yet heavy. The Erotics mix the sleaze glam rock style of the 80's with classic punk to great effect. This CD will fuel your adolescent sexual fantasies and make you wanna slam dance at the same time. With sixteen tracks you definitely get your money's worth.

Mike Trash keeps the vocals nice and raspy, taking you down to the gutter where the rock is pure and nasty. Take the Southern rock elements out of Nashville Pussy and you can get an idea of Trash's vocal styles. He likes to let loose of lead guitar as well, making this a killer distorted guitar driven rock album.

Rhythm section Jett Damage and Eric Stathis are will accomplishes and keep the simple rockin structure of the songs moving along in high gear.

Most of the tunes stick to the hard sleazy punk rockin formula but The Erotics threw in a few surprises as well like the ballad "Girls On Drugs" which evokes images of the guys sitting wasted in the middle of a bombed out party house on Sunset strip with an acustic guitar and not really knowing how to keep their sleazy musical personalities out of even the slow songs. You won't hear Billy Joe coming up with a ballad like this. You also get The Erotics punk interpretation of the old Motley Crue tune, "Public Enemy #1". They take the song and make it all their own, it's much heavier and far more slezzy than the original, the guitar solo blows Mick Mars away and you don't get that lame ass cowbell conging through the song.

If you're looking for a CD to rock out to this summer with the top down and the foot on the peddle, The Erotic just might be the ticket. It's not hard to imagine this CD being the background music to high school keg parties across the land this summer. It's a nice change of pace from the depressing self-indulgent rock that we get on the radio these days. It's just good down and dirty nasty guitar driven fun, if you really wanna rock this summer then take those Limp Bizkit CD's to the record store and trade them in for The Erotics' "21st Century S.O.B."

If this CD doesn't rock your world then you should stick to borrowing your sister's Blink-182 and Dashboard Confessional CD's and wondering why your life is so damn boring.