Reviews

London to all conformists: Danger danger!  An explosion has been reported in the upper levels of the musical atmosphere.  It seems 70’s punk and 80’s glam rock have collided together into a powerful eruption.  Fans are currently on the scene searching through the rubble and it seems that what has emerged are newcomers Towers of London, who march forward into the millennium as the new leaders of the old school.

If eyeliner-laden glam-rock and dirty punk rock could be labeled fresh, its name would be Blood, Sweat, and Towers, the debut record from Towers of London.  The band, out of Liverpool, blends the musical and aesthetic senses from said genres and decades, with all the attitude in tow.  Take the Ramones, Sex Pistols, Poison, Motley Crue, and a dash of Billy Idol – without the cheese that so often accompanied his persona and radio friendly hits – toss them all into a cement mixer, pour out the concoction, and Towers of London take form.

This is tough-as-nails rock music with many other appropriate descriptions: driven, big hair, arena, catchy riffs, big choruses, customary lyrics.  Through this, Towers embody everything that is rock & roll.  Of course, no steel-fisted rock band would be complete without a few brawny ballads.  Fortunately, Towers do not fall into this trap.  Two versions of “F*** It Up” are included on the record: the full-blow version that rocks out in all its glory, and an alternate, acoustic version that is the lone track in danger of the ballad label. 

However, don’t get your britches in a bunch, because Towers aren’t out to become anyone’s darling, and “Kill the Pop Scene” is proof, as they proceed to shred anything popular or mainstream with off-cuff reckless abandon.  Most of the songs start off with a bang and never let up, such as “On a Noose,” which paints a picture of exactly what Towers of London are all about: “Rock and roll, she is my creator.”

Although Towers are straight off the gritty streets, they are able to grasp the inane side of life and cannot be accused of taking themselves too seriously.  “Air Guitar” is a simple ditty about loving rock music and jamming out wherever and whenever, and provides some comic relief with such lyrics as, “Quick to the point, to the point, I’m vacant/Whoopin’ MC’s like a pound of bacon.”

If you’re looking for the next great songwriters or the meaning of life, then your necessities are well beyond the therapy that Towers can provide.  However, if jumping off the couch spread eagle, with wide-open air guitar flying through the air, is what you desire, then Blood, Sweat, and Towers is the best therapy money can buy.