The Swiss rock n’ roll glammin’ jammin’ punked up have stepped it up to a new level. I have to admit, I feel like a proud father. No, I didn’t discover the Bitch Queens, but I remember when they were formed and their first release. I remember thinking, “hmmm, these guys are pretty good”. They had the look, great name and a nice mix of glam, punk and rock. Now on “Kill Your Friends” they have shot through the stratosphere and are the next generation of bands like Turbonegro, Backyard Babies or The Hellacopters just to name a few.
What these guys have going is oozing with Rock N’ Roll, the slightly androgynous look, their raunchy swagger and the way that carry themselves is right on the money. It’s going to piss some people off, which is the whole point. They’re channeling Ziggy Stardust and Iggy Pop and mixing in some of the dirty early 80’s L.A. Scene. Musically they’re in line with The Ramones and Sex Pistols, but they’re a little more tight and refined like some of the 80’s stuff like Faster Pussycat and L.A. Guns. Bottom line, they’re not reinventing the wheel, but they’re making it go round and round really fucking well.
Probably the biggest difference for me this time around is the use of more backing vocals and shouts. I’m a sucker for that, if you throw in gang vocals you’ve got me hooked. The opener and title track “Kill Your Friends” is the perfect rock song. It’s raw, real, controversial and it simply fucking rocks.
But that’s just one cut, they don’t let up the entire release. The first single “Gimme A Kiss” is like a more Punked up Danko Jones song. Catchy as hell and sexually charged. “Who Are You” is an angst-ridden, in your face, balls out rocker with some very nice guitar work. I should mention too, these guys are solid players too, they don’t just replicate the same song 10 times and call it a day.
“Waste Me” could be another single, nice tempo, great chorus, just a fantastic rock song. “Lick It (Like You Like It) is pretty much self-explanatory. “Joan Is A Creep” is the sleeper tune here, it’s probably not a single, but I can imagine this as a fan-favorite as it’s one of the more memorable tracks on the album. “Bullseye Baby” reminded me a bit of the Swedish band “The Bones” with it’s strait up throw back to classic rock n’ roll.
There’s several other strong tracks that are just as strong, in fact there isn’t a weak cut on the entire release, it just goes from one ass-kicker to the next. If this doesn’t bring them to the next level something is seriously wrong. Rock NEEDS these types of bands out there to survive.
1. Kill Your Friends
2. Gimme A Kiss
3. Again, Again & Again
4. Who Are You?
5. That Girl
6. Waste Me
7. Get Out Of My Way
8. Take Out The Trash
9. Lick It (Like You Like It)
10.Joan Is A Creep
11. Bullseye Baby
12. Tick, Tick, Tick
Bitch Queens – Kill Your Friends (2014)
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