Krank Live in Philly
By
Tokemaster General,
Contributor
Tuesday, August 19, 2003 @ 4:48 PM
| Krank Live at the Whiskey Tang
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REVIEW BY: Bay Breez
Krank was a rarity -- a glam band signed to Metal Force Records, when the label was 99% speed metal. But Krank wasn’t your average Glam band; yes, they wore makeup and hairspray. One difference was they followed in the footsteps of Alice Cooper, instead of the NY Dolls. They didn’t try to make themselves look pretty, but tried to make themselves look ugly.
Their musical style was also different, they didn’t sing about girls and love in all of their songs like most eighties hair bands. Their sound was also heavier; you wouldn’t have expected them to make it Top 40 like Bon Jovi or Poison. This band confused many of the critics and fans alike. Some actually called them thrash metal, or speed metal. All along they were just a metal band, which was influenced by Kiss, Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Maiden and AC/DC.
Fast Forward to 2003 -- Original members Frank (lead vocals) and Kevin Mercer (Bass) reform with new guitarist J.D. DeMaio and Drummer Scott Forte to do again what they did 15 years earlier to be Loud, Proud and as Ugly as they want to be.
With a newly released 8-song CD, Ugly Gift, this is their first show after the release and also their first show back in Philly in a long time.
Opening the show with the song “Power” from their 1st album displays the power in vocalist Frank’s throat -- with his classic metal screams to make Rob Halford blush. It might be 15 years later, but no one has told Frank, as he just belts it out.
Krank then start on a 6-song assault of new material from their new CD. Starting off with “Krank it Up,” “Nasty Bastard” then “Hell Yeah.” Kevin’s pounding bass just keeps pounding away and he pounds on his BC Rich Warlock. At times, sounding as if he is pounding on his bass with his platform boots.
The title track is next up, “Ugly Gift,” and a song that describes the attitude of this band. “Fuck You,” as they say in the song, “If you don’t want to Rock… Fuck You!!!” Which is the truth, these guys come out, with makeup, hairspray, leather, platform boots, smoke and lights, and rocking music. So if you come to a Krank show, be ready to rock.
My favorite song of the new CD was next, “One Good Fist,” a real metal anthem. With JD DeMaio getting to show off with a bunch of leads and fills, in between each line in the chorus.
Lastly was another flashback to the 1st Krank album, with the song “Rock the House,” which is exactly what they did on this night. The end of this song, the band just walked off stage, guitars, blasting feedback, and drummer Scott Forte just beating the hell out of his kit in a mass of smoke until finally just throwing his sticks and walking off himself.
These four guys got up on that stage on this night to a crowd that wasn’t expecting anything like they got with a very young college crowd there to support the other two bands that played. Krank did what they do best, rocking the house, with fist pounding metal music that was Kranked up and saying to everyone – “A big Fuck You !!!”
For more info on the band and upcoming shows go to www.krankrocks.com.
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