Remember that old pastime of going out on a Friday night? The liberation one feels when putting on their tightest pair of jeans, studs, denim and leather, and obligatory worn out Motörhead shirt? The uncertainty of what was going to happen and the thrill of living in the moment? In the midst of this pandemic, the glory of Friday night feels like a distant memory. Leave it to Hitter to bring us the raw energy of those Friday nights (the ones we remember and the ones we don’t) on their debut album, Hard Enough.
From day one, I was taken aback by the way Hitter breathed, sweat, and bled rock n’ roll. Many bands here in Chicago and beyond have tried the same formula, only to sound like brain-dead posers who safely retreat to the scene they came from when they realize nobody other than their moms care about their Ramones ripoff band. You’ve either got it or you don’t. Hitter’s got it and they’ve got it in spades!
From their 2018 demo to Hard Enough, there’s been a massive evolution in Hitter’s songwriting. This isn’t to discount their early material. On their demo, it was more about the shock and awe of the songs themselves. On Hard Enough, Hitter explores melodic territory to fully flesh out their sound. Think how Plasmatics evolved from their early releases to Coup d’Etat (1982). With that said, Hard Enough isn’t without its punk rock energy. “Out for Blood”, “Hitter”, “Funeral”, and “The Girls of Summer” are dripping with anarchy. Hanna Hazard snarls her way through each song sounding like the offspring of Wendy O. and a half empty whiskey bottle. Ryan “Wizkid” Wizniak beats the drums as if they owe him money. And Adam “Lucky” Lukesetich performs double duty, madly strumming away on the guitar and bass until there’s blood upon the strings.
“Motorcycle Psycho” is our first taste of the “new” Hitter. It’s a hard rocking ode to a chromium stallion and the primitive man (or woman) who aimlessly rides it through the highways and backroads. Who needs a map when your heart guides you? Meanwhile, “Reach Out” has the balls and swagger of early KISS. It also explains Hitter’s inclusion of “Detroit Rock City” in their live set this past February. The more hipsters who learn the magnificence of Ace Frehley’s sweaty riffs, the better. To the naysayers, I say “Ack!”
“Glowin’ Up” and “Midwestern Rock ‘N’ Roll” are a 1-2 punch of perhaps the greatest songs 16 year old Joan Jett never wrote. They’re fun, simple, and stride the line between punk and hard rock. Hell, “Glowin’ Up” might be too elementary, but sometimes three chords and an amplifier turned up to 11 are all you need. Hard Enough closes with a rerecording of a demo track, “Born to Rock”. The only difference between this and the original is a more refined production which makes it sound less like Motörhead and more like The Dictators. In other words, it still rocks harder than you.
Like Lemmy, Wendy O, Iggy, and countless others before them, Hitter bravely treads the uneven path that is rock n’ roll. Most crash and burn before making it this far. Not Hitter. They’re punk enough for the punks, metal enough for the metalheads, and hellbent on rocking their way to the top. Don’t try and stop them. You’ll be damned if you do.
8 out of 10
Label: Independent
Genre: Heavy Metal/Punk
For fans of: Plasmatics, Motörhead, The Runaways