MADHOUSE
“Down ‘N’ Dirty”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

9.5/10

Madhouse are a hard rock band from Austria formed in 2017, releasing their debut album ‘Money Talks Bullshit Walks’ two years later in 2019. The bands sophomore album ‘Bad Habits’ was released in 2021, and in 2022 Madhouse release their third album ‘Down ‘N’ Dirty’…

…once again featuring a heavy glam/sleaze rock sound that was prevalent during the glorious eighties with bands such as Motley Crue, Cinderella, Poison, and Skid Row. ‘Down ‘N’ Dirty’ is harder, heavier, and much grittier than ‘Bad Habits’ – the album coming to life with the title song ‘Down ‘N’ Dirty’. And a sound that echoes the American style of hard rock perfectly. Madhouse may be over five thousand miles away from America, but boy have they got the glam/sleaze vibe down to a tee! ‘Down ‘N’ Dirty’ (the song) is gritty, punchy, and an infectious opener that makes you wanna hear more – and more you will, in the shape of the heavier hitting ‘Hard Luck’. And a sure fire Poison feel rises high in the air, Madhouse becoming masters of the glam/sleaze sound. Last year’s ‘Bad Habits’ really surprised me by how much the bands sound was non European – and this years ‘Down ‘N’ Dirty’ (the album) is surprising me in exactly the same way!

There is less innuendo laden song titles than ‘Bad Habits’ – maybe the band are growing and maturing – ‘Kiss And Tell’ keeping the albums opening punch punchy! ‘Kiss And Tell’ is a fusion of glam rock icons Poison and Cinderella, with the raspy vocals of singer Tommy Lovelace highly reminiscent of (Cinderella’s) Tom Keifer. I’m telling ya – Madhouse would have been massive back in the eighties! Heavy foot stomping, anthemic hard rock rises high to the surface in the shape of ‘Passionkiller’ and its highly chant-able chorus. In a live arena the audience are gonna love it, chanting “whoa oh oh oh” as loud as they possibly can. Since the album began Madhouse have created an intense hard rocking, head nodding, foot tapping atmosphere that is all encompassing and will infect every listener. So be warned readers, your hands and feet will be moving rhythmically to the music of Madhouse!

And now for one of the best songs on the album – ‘This Is Horrorwood’. Full of energy and oomph, ‘This Is Horrorwood’ is up tempo, and is gonna entice metal heads to come listen to the band. Yes – metal heads! Come on, even metal heads hold a soft spot for hard rock – even if they don’t ever mention it! ‘In The Doghouse’ maintains the albums intensity, actually increasing the punch and hitting harder – yet all the while keeping true to the bands root glam/sleaze rock roots. As I mentioned earlier, Madhouse would have fitted perfectly into the eighties, and given all the pioneering hard rock legends a damn good run for their money! Now, it was only a matter of time before the obligatory ballad made its appearance, so raise your lighters high and arms in the air, and salute ‘You And I Against The World’. And just picture a mass of concert goers all swaying from side to side – what a sight! Madhouse allowing themselves, and listeners, a breather from the heavy hitting hard rock hammering.

With the breather over, I hope you’re all refreshed. For the album storms on with the bustling ‘Kung Fu Holidays’ – emitting a strong eighties Poison feel, and more specifically the bands 1986 debut! The only difference being, Madhouse are grittier. Heavy hitting head nodding hard rock booms outta the speakers as ‘Much II Much’ treads very heavily across the land. The hard rocking force of ‘Much II Much’ is so strong, every listener everywhere will be involuntarily foot tapping, and nodding their head harder than a wacky wobbler…better known as a bobblehead. Yep, that’s right – a bobblehead!

‘Love Is Blind’ lowers the tone and highlights a little menace not heard before. But the menace doesn’t overpower the bands root happy and thoroughly enjoyable hard rocking party feel. Nor the intensity either – that remains fully intact! A short mellower intro belies the heaviness of ‘You Can’t Lead A Whore’ – thumping and kicking harder than an MMA champion fighter! Listener’s heads are gonna be nodding harder than at any other time previously – ‘You Can’t Lead A Whore’ is simply that strong. And bringing the album to a close is the thundering ‘Antihero’, a fast paced and very heavy slice of hard rock. The energy level has been incredible throughout the entire album, only dropping for the (one and only) ballad. What an effort from a young band still on the rise.

Overall, a heavy hitting hard rocking album of glam/sleaze rock, with Madhouse oozing plenty of energy and oomph.

TRACKLIST

Down ‘N’ Dirty
Hard Luck
Kiss And Tell
Passionkiller
This Is Horrorwood
In The Doghouse
You And I Against The World
King Fu Holidays
Much II Much
Love Is Blind
You Can’t Lead A Whore
Antihero

https://www.madhouse-official.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/madhouseband

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