Nite Stinger – What the Nite Is All About

Motorcycles, longhaired rocker dudes decked out in all black, the word “night” spelled as “nite”: It can only mean one thing. It’s time for our first glam metal album review of the year! How appropriate that this comes off the heels of yesterday’s Icon countdown, because today’s band in review draws heavily from the well of Icon, as well as Dokken and Whitesnake for that matter. I’m talking about Brazilian bad boys, Nite Stinger. Formed in 2020, these newcomers struck in 2021 with their eponymous debut, and have since been picked up by melodic rock tastemakers Pride & Joy Music for their sophomore affair, What the Nite Is All About.

So what IS the nite all about? Well, in this case, it’s about an old school brand of glam metal that sounds lifted straight out of 1985. Nite Stinger’s brand of glam metal bears less resemblance to the bubblegum pop that dominated the genre’s second wave and more the virtuosic musicianship and catchy melodies that characterized its first wave. As mentioned earlier, the Dokken influence is most prevalent, from the George Lynch-inspired riffs and solos, to just the way the songs are structured, teetering that line between traditional metal punch and hard rock accessibility (i.e. “You Know Why”, “Your Own Way to Be”, “Highway Bound”, etc.)

Of course, there are no shortage of AOR influences to be found on here as well, especially on the slower cuts. “Fantasy” is perhaps the strongest example of this, with its infectious twin guitar harmonies and dreamy atmosphere. The Dokken vibes are strong here as well, but reminiscent of when they’d scale back the metal for a song or two. Retro power ballad “All the Love That You Need” leans heavily on neon-drenched nostalgia, as does the breezy “High Above. Then again, one could argue this entire album relies on neon-drenched nostalgia, as does this entire nostalgia-driven niche currently helmed by the likes of H.E.A.T, Crazy Lixx, etc.

Perhaps the most interesting component of Nite Stinger and their unabashedly retro sound is frontman Jack Fahrer. Unlike most singers in this realm, who rely on superhuman shrieks and overperformance, Fahrer’s delivery is quite pedestrian by comparison. In some cases, this is a welcome surprise. His standard hard rock approach gives the songs themselves room to breathe and highlights the melodies this band is so good at. Yet in some cases, I can’t help but wish he did boast the range of Dokken or sultriness of Coverdale, to give the songs that extra push into the stratosphere.

Because of this aforementioned vocal performance, as well as the general one-notedness of the songs themselves, I can’t rate What the Nite Is All About as highly as Creatures’ colossal sophomore opus. That being said, this band and album is also far more pleasant to the ear than the usual dime-a-dozen Aerosmith clones who clog up this niche and the reviews section of Sleaze Roxx. I’m confident that Nite Stinger’s sting will only become deadlier in due time…and that’s when I’ll really need someone to urinate on my leg.

7 out of 10

Label: Pride & Joy Music

Genre: Glam Metal

For fans of: Dokken, Whitesnake, H.E.A.T