It seems every year a band rises up from the ashes channeling the early 80s LA metal sound before it got neutered by MTV and greedy major labels. Think Too Fast for Love era Mötley Crüe and the debut EPs from Ratt and Great White. In 2018 it was Leathürbitch. In 2019 it was Midnight Spell. 2020 was too depressing for anyone to sing about sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll, which brings us to 2021’s sleaze metal saviors, Dirty Tricks.
Not to be confused with the English 70s hard rock band of the same name, Dirty Tricks are a rather mysterious outfit. An ambiguous email came across my inbox claiming they hail from LA and that’s about it. Oh yeah, and the obligatory command to “PLAY THIS EP LOUD MUTHA!”, which is a given. As far as the who, what, when, and why of this band, it’s as much of a mystery to me as it is to the rest of the metal underground.
From the opening seconds of their debut EP, Bright Lights, Big City, I have no doubt in my mind that these boys hail from LA. The straightforward, plodding riffs of opener “Cut Out the Lights” could’ve only been written by a gang of Californian street rats drunk off the Teutonic steel of Scorpions’ Blackout. It’s simple, but effective: a textbook case of “less is more”. “New Rock, Old Rock” keeps the party going in hooky hard rocking fashion. Any song that namedrops Judas Priest, KISS, and Accept is cool in my book!
Being a sucker for melody, my favorite cut on this EP is “Walk with Me”. Boasting the dynamic riffing of pre-blues rock Great White and lustful lyrics typical of the era, “Walk with Me” is a rock solid party anthem that tows the line between metal and hard rock. Rounding it all out is the sly, nocturnal title track. Fist pumping riffs? Check. Eric Carr circa Creatures of the Night sounding drums? Check. Gang vocals? Check. If the first three songs didn’t push the retro meter into overload, “Bright Lights, Big City” surely does!
Although Bright Lights, Big City doesn’t resonate with me the way the aforementioned releases from Leathürbitch and Midnight Spell do, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t thoroughly enjoy it. There’s more to being traditional metal revivalists than aping Priest and Maiden. Dirty Tricks know so and run with it, highlighting an oft forgotten chapter in the history of metal. So pour some whiskey, tease your hair, and put on your tightest pair of leather pants. It’s time to raise hell and play some Dirty Tricks!
7 out of 10
Label: Hoove Child Records
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
For fans of: Scorpions, Mötley Crüe, early Great White