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STAINLESS “Lady of Lust and Steel”
STAINLESS “Lady of Lust and Steel”
By Colonel Angus
Hailing from Portland, STAINLESS is a newer(ish) band that first crashed onto the scene with a single and an E.P. Since that release, they finally unleashed their first full length album and let me tell you, it is a barn burner for sure. There is nothing subtle about each of the eight tracks on offer here as each one is steeped in late 70s and early 80s hard rock and metal. Each track carries a raw sound which is refreshing in its refusal to hide behind the slick gloss of contemporary production.
The album opens with a simple but effective riff giving “Restless an' Ready” both a sense of familiarity and unique spark. Right away you can hear that 70s hard rock shining through but there are touches of NWOBHM thrown in for good measure. Vocalist Larissa Cavacece has that same go for the throat delivery as Bon Scott which lends itself more to the 70s hard rock scene. Wasting no time, the machine gun riffing of “Whorefrost” has a bit of MOTORHEAD (especially in the drumming) producing a sound that straddles that late 70s hard rock music with that early 80s metal scene. At just over four minutes, "Whorefrost" will batter your eardrums for sure.
The following track “(Don't Cross Me) Fool” has this great funk intro that morphs into a hard rock with plenty of swagger and cock-sure attitude. Reminding me a little of Y&T, this is by far my favorite off “Lady of Lust and Steel”. I like that the band isn’t afraid to bring older rock elements into the material while still channeling some metal here and there. A JUDAS PRIEST style riff starts off the title track that is definitely more on the metal side of things. With just four tracks in, the record has already delivered four distinct songs, each with its own character, yet all unmistakably part of the same cohesive record.
Harkening back to a MOTORHEAD-ish sound, “Danger in the Night” starts off with a bit of “Victim of Changes” style guitar work but quickly evolves into a headbanger with some great double bass drumming. The melodic chorus is a nice addition providing some relief to the chaotic nature of the rest of the track. The following tune “Take a Listen Mama” is another gem on this record. It’s a little bit of a bluesy rocker that shows a softer side to the band. The guitar work from Jamie Byrum gets a bit of the spotlight here and he uses it to great effect.
Coming back with another hard rocker, “Vitamin Tease” is a riff heavy rocker that is different this time. Before, we got 70s hard rock with some metal thrown in while on this one, I feel we start off with metal and there are small bits of 70s hard rock added. Either way, this is another stomper that will have you tapping your foot for days. The disk ends with another strutting metal workout called “Rough Justice” that has a 70s JUDAS PRIEST vibe circa “Hell Bent for Leather”. All in all, I liked this album a lot and the fact that it is only eight tracks helps. Each song is distinct yet when you collect them all together, they all fit making “Lady of Lust and Steel” a great listen. I would keep my eye on this bunch as I’m sure they are a great live band too.
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