Power trio Menthol James (http://www.mentholjames.com) provide a bracing reminder of how much time has passed since the early '90s. For those feeling nostalgic about that era, Menthol James will give you a kick-in-the-arse fix. Featuring Ron Hippe (guitar, bass, vocals), Jan Ciganik (lead guitar, bass, vocals), and Dennis McCoy (drums, vocals), Menthol James recall the flannel-smoked haze of vintage "Alternative Nation" as the group unreels their fan worship for grunge with gusto.
Despite the AOR cheese of its title, the first track "Rock Me" paints a wall of fuzz a la the Smashing Pumpkins in their early days. It's loud and raw, reminding us of how the alternative sound was less polished and whiny a decade ago. The vocals even resemble Billy Corgan's although there are moments which recall the Cult's Ian Astbury, namely his Jim Morrison-fueled rasp. Speaking of the Cult, "Mudflaps" echoes that band's propulsive hybrid of heavy metal and psychedelia; the rush of guitars at the song's climax is quite breathtaking.
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"Start of Something Good" and "Realize" are both hatched from the same Seattle eggs. "Start of Something Good" opens with an ominous Soundgarden drone while the singing employs Kurt Cobain's world-beaten roar. "Realize" is textbook Alice in Chains from the guitar-bass dynamics to the harmonies. Menthol James loses a little on "Dirty Fingers," a song that aims for System of a Down's breakneck pace but without the abrupt and oddly cool tempo shifts that makes them so mesmerizing. Nevertheless, Menthol James wipe the alternative scene clean from emo and let the black hole sun shine in.
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