Shoot the Breeze
Rock out with your cock out
self-released
I'm pretty sure these dudes sent me a older CDR demo a long time ago and if I remember correctly, it was fairly unremarkable. Not bad, but nothing special either - exactly the kind of thing that reviewers dread writing about. However, this new one is quite good. The recording is still obviously demo quality, but the songwriting has come a long way. Most bands playing similar 80s arena-style hard-rock tend to play up the dumber aspects of the genre (sex! drugs! rock'n'roll!), but Shoot the Breeze is surprisingly refreshing in that they take themselves seriously enough to do it well. Think about the sort of stuff that made old Def Leppard great (don't argue!) - tasty riffs, triumphant melodies and huge hooks. StB still needs to work on their vocal arrangements before they attempt a real recording, but overall I say good job.
- Avi Roig