On disc: Bai Bang

 
 Are You Ready
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 


 
 Livin' My Dream
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 


 
 All Around The World
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 

All Around The World

(AOR Heaven - 2013)



 
 

 

Bai Bang is back with another album, seems that they present an album every other year now... The opener Everybody Everywhere seems to combine sleaze glam metal with Leppard-ish choirs... A catchy tune based on heavy riffs. Also Crazy sounds familiar... It's fun, but after all these years and albums one should think they found their own identity... On the other hand many of the bands who were big in the heydays of glam and sleaze aren't around any more, so fans might like to get something which is right up their alley... The songs are good to party or to cruise at a sunny day, but there isn't one which will haunt you for days... Bai Bang deliver a decent album, but that's it. Anyway, other bands struggle to deliver even an average album and at least you can say they stick to their guns and play the music they love. If you love this sound too, then give the new Bai Bang album a chance!



 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
up 













Livin' My Dream

(AOR Heaven - 2011)



 
 

 

In 2009 Bai Bang presented Are You Ready, now they are back with Livin' My Dream, their 7th album. Their last album was nominated for the Swedish Metal Awards as the best sleaze / glam metal album. Even if they didn't won, it says something about the quality of this band. So don't hesitate and check out Livin' My Dream.



The Swedish rockers kick off with We're United, an 80's party rocker. The opener is something hair / glam metal fans will fall in love with, it takes you onto a journey back in time. With the title track Livin' My Dream they ease up a bit, one might say a typical Scandinavian melodic metal track, but they mix it with some catchy vocal line - reminds me a bit of 80's pop - and the big choruses which were popular in the 80's. But where others overdo it, they know how to keep it in balance. The guitar speaks up here and there, but isn't extremely heavy. Come On shows some reminiscences to Def Leppard (Pyromania era) spiced up with some Bon Jovi and a cool guitar solo. Perhaps not the most innovative song, but fun to listen and it would have been the perfect soundtrack for this summer... Just that there wasn't much of it yet. With Rock It they won't win a prize for creativeness, but the rocker is better then it's title. Another track which shows similarities to Def Leppard, but it also has a melancholy touch. The bluesy element make me think of Great White, so if you can imagine a mix of bluesy Great White and old Def Leppard, then you'll get an idea what to expect. One of my favorites is Tonight, even if I can't really say why.... It somehow sounds familiar, but it's also the singing guitar, I guess, which picks up the vocal line for a moment. It's followed by Rock It, a song which is a typical arena rocker, but the chorus is a bit to repetitive for me... With Die For You they present a track which stripped down would make an incredible ballad, so it's just a cool balladesque rocker. The closer is a heavy rocker called Put On Her Dress and it has some Poison in it...



If you are ready for living your dream and if Bai Bang is one of the bands which are part of the soundtrack of your life, then the Swedish won't disappoint you.

 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
up 













Are You Ready

(Metal Heaven - 2009)



 
 

 

Another Swedish band which praises the glam / sleaze rock is Bai Bang. The four guys are veterans, rocking for many years, toured allover the world and now they present their 6th album - Are You Ready!



The opener I Love The Things You Hate is taking you back into the late 80's, perhaps a bit too polished... Especially the following Born To Rock has a Def Leppard touch... A quite commercial tune with big backings and a catchy hook - like Def Leppard at times of Adenalize or Warrant's Cherry Pie... But they can't create the same vibe. Unfortunately with Party Queen they deliver a quite average tune, run-of-the-mill with cheesy lyrics. At Are You Ready I'm Ready they remind me of Bonfire (Point Blank era)... The kitschy ballad Only The Best Die Young is too much, this track make me want to skip and go on! At Longtime Cumin you get some heavy riffs, but you also get a sickly sweet chorus. And somehow you are lucky that the song have an average running time of 3+ minutes. At All The Little Things they start a bit better, but instead of reduce it to the basics and create an intense atmosphere the backings turn this into another kitschy ballad. A pity. The stereotype lyrics don't help at all and so the last track Bigtime Party won't make you spin it again right away.



Well, if you like the bands / albums I referred to, then you should check out the Swedish quartet. But in my opinion they aren't on the same level. I guess that live its a lot fun, but on CD it doesn't really get me. With so many bands around these days, it will be very tough to make new friends with Are You Ready. Especially as their fellow countrymen Nasty Idols just released an album which sounds more organic. Sorry guys, but this isn't enough to survive in the big pond!
 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
up 







 
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