Seeing as Beautiful Creatures seem intent on releasing infrequent albums and Young Heart Attack have dissolved into my pool of tears, I've been searching for a modern band to heal the pain. Buckcherry have filled a gap, and now we have The Last Vegas. I saw that DJ Ashba and Nikki Sixx had their names connected to the band so thought I'd check 'em out and I wasn't disappointed. The problem is of course, it's a difficult game being rock 'n' roll without sounding a) corny, b) completely unoriginal. Once you've heard Zeppelin and the Stones, you know that anything after is gonna borrow heavily from one or both of these. Even so, blood, sweat and tears rock 'n' roll can still work, and The Last Vegas appear to have got it right. 'Whatever Gets...' has all the traits that endeared Young Heart Attack to me. Okay, so there's no sultry female vocal attack, but we do get something that maintains its energy and never falls into a retro plod. The title cut is a stormer which reminds me of AC/DC mixed with the Stones, pure swagger in Chad Cherry's vocals. Refreshing, in your face...a bit like a modern Fastway, especially on 'I'm Bad' whilst Aerosmith and Crue get a nod on the swaggering 'Love Me Bad'.
Many would argue that it's all been done before, but that's not the point. If it causes a shake then I'm game. 'Apologise' is straight up '80s hair metal ballad, partly penned by Nikki Sixx and DJ Ashba who it seems are to blame for finding this superb band. The album is capable of breathing arrogance, walking with pout. Cool riffs, ballsy anthems, nothing to boozy or monotonous. Certainly the easiest comparison to make would be Buckcherry who've made a career out of AC/DC riffs and sexual swagger, and that's what matters when it comes to playin' stripped down rock 'n' roll.
Leave the kids to the Green Day shite, and get yourself a dose of The Last Vegas.
8.5/10
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