Reptile Smile - Automatic Cool (1990)

This ten tracker has a strong AC/DC feel, particularly in the melodies of the songs, whereas the vocals are quite bruising and raspy. My first impression of the cover and band name was that these guys might ber some sort of sleaze band, but only at times, the guitars of Lissnils and Karlegard bring to mind more of a bluesy swagger. The title track is certainly one that digs deep in the brain, Peter Shapiro certainly has a gruff, direct vocal rasp, and I'm thinking that these guys may have been going for a harder edged style of Faster Pussycat style strut. '2000 Miles'boasts a more melodic, poppy strut, but a few tracks in there isn't a track that stands out, the album possibly bogged down by the familisr structures and those gritty vocals. 'Rock n Roll Monkey' follows a similar pattern, the riffs of each song almost merging into one, Reptile Smile not having the class or ideas to make themselves stand out from the crowd despite the tight musicianship. I think this is a love or hate record, but the fact it's far meatier than most means a thumbs up from me for the most part...but Spread Eagle, Kik Tracee and Faster Pussycat it most certainly isn't. 6.5/10