Album Review Broken Teeth Electric

BROKEN TEETH - ELECTRIC Released 2008 (Tex-Tone/Cargo)

Album Review by Scott Thomas

Band: Broken Teeth

Jason McMaster - vocals

Jared Tuten - guitar

David Beeson - guitar

Brett McCormick - bass

Bruce Rivers - drums

Once again, I’m at it… Always looking for kick-ass rockin’ guitar music to bring to the masses.

I was surfin’ MySpace a few weeks back and came across this, down and dirty, vindictively LOUD three chord, hard rock and roll music called Broken Teeth. Instantly, a turbo-charged AC/DC came to mind. However, after listening to their first few clips on MySpace, I knew there was much more to Broken Teeth than sounding like an AC/DC rip-off. There is almost a genius-ism in the way Broken Teeth blend their brand of raw, highly-paced 4/4, cock-rock music, with “Don’t Mess with Texas” rockin’ roll.

First off, if Jason McMaster’s thematic lyrics, guttural vocals, and the bands scourching guitar riffs don’t get your blood boiling, then your simply D.O.A! That’s alright though… While listening to the first song from this bunch, I guarantee you’ll get an electric jolt of voltage that would ring Frankenstein back to life (Hum? Maybe that’s why they called the album “Electric” ), and with AC/DC’s trademark “OY’s” included!

I contacted Jason McMaster through MySpace and I was lucky enough to have him respond back to me. Jason and the band keep themselves very busy and do over a ton of shows a year all over the world. I was glad he was able to find the time to talk with me a little on the phone and by the time we were done, he promised me a promo package with their latest CD “Electric”.

While talking with Jason, I realized I was talkin’ to a real rock veteran… Road Warrior if you will… Jason is also the lead singer of the infamous late, late 80’s metal band “Dangerous Toys”. Ah! Ha! You vaguely remember, Huh? The Toys were all over MTV and HeadBanger’s Ball in ’89 ’90 ’91 and subsequent years following. And yes, they sold over a million albums in a time when the music scene was changing from Metal to Grunge. Nevertheless, they hung in there and sold well longer than most of the bands of that time. They still have heavy rotation on MySpace and do reunion gigs here in the States and Japan. The metal hero has been very busy since the "official" end of Dangerous Toys in 1996. And as before, a loyal following is to be expected from this ruckus of a rock and roll band.

I couldn’t agree with him more. These guys live and breathe their songs and you can feel the blood sweat and tears they put into it! This CD isn’t about reinventing the wheel, as much as expanding on it. However, the album is full of foot-stompin’ hard rock, the way it ought to be played! When Jason was asked who his influences were, he laments that Judas Priest, Kiss and AC/DC and quotes Lemmy of Motorhead from time to time.

“That kid at school with black fingernails, dyed hair wearing a Motorhead T-shirt … those are my people,” McMaster said. “That’s who I’m talking to.”

There are 12 songs on the CD that boils over a Bonfire of broken teeth and bones. Stand back because you don’t want this steamin' mix of voodoo mash splashed upon you. Performing onstage since the early 80's, Jason has assembled a band of pros, and it's apparent almost from minute one the band knows how to work the stage and the audience with the talent and experience of a world class touring band. If you get the chance, Broken Teeth is definitely worth every cent of the to go see.

BROKEN TEETH - ELECTRIC

Released 2008 (Tex-Tone/Cargo)

Track List:

01. Roll Over

02. Electric

03. Blood On The Radio

04. Hell For Sale

05. Bonfire

06. Burns Like Love

07. She's Gonna' Blow

08. Devil Money

09. Stick It In

10. Hangin' By The Skin

11. Undertaker

12. El' Diablo

I usually like to review each song separately. However, I wanted to try something a different here. I have listened to the CD at least a dozen times now and just when I thought I had my 3 or 4 favorite songs down, I would start to like other tunes more. My taste for each song has changed three times all ready! The album just starts to grow on you. Each song is like a runaway locomotive that keeps picking up limitless steam…. Likewise, that’s how each song feels by the time it hits its 2 minute mark.

Audaciously copping Bon Scott’s moves, Jason and his band mates prove that there is an art with simplicity in the message and the music. As one fan put it, “When he does occasionally slips into a perfect Bon Scott impression, it's like he's channeling the long deceased singer, getting further on spirit and phrasing than exact vocal mimicry or all-out impersonation.” The guitar players Jared, David and Brett play with all classic ol’ school instruments and gear. They use Les Paul’s, Marshall’s, and Fender P-Basses’ in their arsenal of classic rock paraphernalia. Mutt Lang would be very proud of the production on this album. As for Bruce River’s drumming? Simply Impeccable! He’s a diesel engine that burns on all 8 piston-drivin’ titanium cylinders, fueled by crunching guitar rhthyms.

Once again, the pure adrenaline attitude driven songs on this disc are less sleaze and more straight forward hard rock. If you’ve been disappointed over the years with AC/DC’s sluggish writing and slowing album sales, then I recommend Broken Teeth as the band for you!

"I give this disc “Electric” by the band Broken Teeth a 9 out of 10."

Scott Thomas – Copywrite 2008

Undertaker by Broken Teeth