When a band’s debut album is called “Sextreme Dynamite” you know that said band are going to be very divisive. German 4-piece Dirty Connections are said band and their latest EP “We Are The Night” is their latest release after some restructuring work in the line-up department of things. Being billed as ‘Sleaze Metal’, that divisive feeling becomes more prominent and you have to wonder will it actually work musically? Will it be the dirty and filthy, tongue in cheek, innuendo laden cringe fest that Mötley Crüe made popular, or will it be more refined and in your face like Nashville Pussy managed?
Sadly, it’s neither. Instead what “We Are The Night” brings is a very watered down effort at mixing the sleazy rock feel Crüe bring with groove rock and metal undercurrents in the vein of Stone Sour, with an attempt at being Rob Zombie thrown into the mix. Honestly speaking, the whole thing is a bit of a mess and scattered to the winds as far as a distinct styling is concerned and it’s not exactly the sleaze metal you would expect. Of course, in 13 minutes, it can be argued that you can’t really do much (prog metal of course scoffs at this notion) so that can be put forward as a saving grace for the band, but it still doesn’t make up for what is on offer.
Musically, as far as the production is concerned, the sound is solid. It’s well mixed, the tone is clear and you get a good impression of what the band sound like. Content wise, when it boils down to it, there is much to be desired. Opening track “Punisher” has a punch groove to it, some melodic progressions in the chorus and gang vocals to highlight that section whilst the rest of the track remains anonymous and the follow up “We Are The Night” is a terrible track about Vampires (or people with a blood fetish at least) which is just a generic groove driven, bland track which doesn’t really stand out much. Penultimate track “Dreamin’ In A Casket” actually shows some promise with it’s very Clawfinger-esque sound which might make it a decent floor filler in a nightclub when everyone is wasted and can’t tell what is being played but the final track “Scream For Me” just hammers the nails into the coffin that this release is. It’s a poor Nü-Metal sounding track which has a filthy tone to it, nailing the sound aspect Dirty Connections seem to be angling for, but that is the only thing worth highlighting about it.
If Dirty Connections ‘are the night’, I’m going to bed, because this really doesn’t sound like a good night to me.
(3/10 Fraggle)
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