DEAD EXPRESS
DEAD EXPRESS "Game Changer"
By Dr. Abner Mality
Call it "action rock", "turbo rock" or just plain hard-ass rock and roll, one thing about this subgenre that separates it from metal is that not only is any kind of innovation unnecessary, but it is actually frowned on. So it is with DEAD EXPRESS and that works out great for them! In metal, critics like Yours Truly are always looking for novel twists on the formula. Not necessary here!
These guys are not as hyperactive as ZEKE or PETER PAN SPEEDROCK but they have plenty of energy to spare. Don't look for any ballads or moodiness here! HELLACOPTERS and TURBO NEGRO might be a closer approximation of DEAD EXPRESS' brand of action rock.
When your first track is called "Roky", you're already in pretty good shape. A tribute to the whacky cult rocker, this sets the table nicely for the rest of "Game Changer". Cuts like "Hang 'Em High" and "Stinkin' Rich" have got a bit of early AC/DC to them and show that DEAD EXRESS doesn't have to be balls-out fast to kick ass. Their music is so comfy and easy to get into, it's like a pair of sneakers you've worn for five years. How could anybody who loves rock n roll hate a track like "The Naked Truth"? This is the essence of no frills rock and roll.
A metalhead I am and a metalhead I will remain, but I will always make time for pure undistilled rotgut rock like DEAD EXPRESS.