Starwood - If It Ain't Broke, Break It!
Metal Blade Records - 3984-14403-2 - 2004
By Paddy Walsh
If you've just read my glowing review of Witchcraft, then you might think I'm some kind of retro fetishist. Wrong. I very rarely find myself really digging bands that choose to forget a whole portion of musical history occurred, go straight back to a certain period and try to emulate it. This is because 90% of the time they fail. Starwood don't exactly fail, but I wouldn't call If It Ain't Broke, Break It! a resounding success either. More like a competent punked-up rock n' roll album that apes the likes of KISS, Guns 'N Roses and Motley Crue being poppy.
So while Witchcraft chose to capture a moment in time when cartoon Satanism had parents up in arms, Starwood sing lyrics about women, Hollywood and erm, breaking things. You'll have heard it all before, it's all very well played and over the top. Each song has a hook, usually consisting of the vocalist shouting the name of the song repeatedly, and you can pretty much predict exactly when it's going to pop up. The lyrics are as annoying as you'd expect, and clichéd as hell. But complaining about them would be kind of missing the point wouldn't it? This kind of thing has always been about fun, and if you're a fan of Starwood's aforementioned references you're sure to get enjoyment out of it. If It Ain't Broke, Break It! serves as quite a decent snapshot of a lost era, even if it fails to live up to the legacies it so desperately chases.
6/10
Starwood's Official Website
Metal Blade Records' Official Website
Metal Blade Records - 3984-14403-2 - 2004
By Paddy Walsh
If you've just read my glowing review of Witchcraft, then you might think I'm some kind of retro fetishist. Wrong. I very rarely find myself really digging bands that choose to forget a whole portion of musical history occurred, go straight back to a certain period and try to emulate it. This is because 90% of the time they fail. Starwood don't exactly fail, but I wouldn't call If It Ain't Broke, Break It! a resounding success either. More like a competent punked-up rock n' roll album that apes the likes of KISS, Guns 'N Roses and Motley Crue being poppy.
So while Witchcraft chose to capture a moment in time when cartoon Satanism had parents up in arms, Starwood sing lyrics about women, Hollywood and erm, breaking things. You'll have heard it all before, it's all very well played and over the top. Each song has a hook, usually consisting of the vocalist shouting the name of the song repeatedly, and you can pretty much predict exactly when it's going to pop up. The lyrics are as annoying as you'd expect, and clichéd as hell. But complaining about them would be kind of missing the point wouldn't it? This kind of thing has always been about fun, and if you're a fan of Starwood's aforementioned references you're sure to get enjoyment out of it. If It Ain't Broke, Break It! serves as quite a decent snapshot of a lost era, even if it fails to live up to the legacies it so desperately chases.
6/10
Starwood's Official Website
Metal Blade Records' Official Website
