#27 Crashdiet - Generation Wild: Comeback Kidz

ROCKTOBERFEST: A Most Excellent Countdown of the 31 Most Bitchin Glam Metal Albums

#27 Crashdiet – Generation Wild (Released 2010) #3 Swedish Albums Chart

Simon Cruz (Best Mohawk in Glam) – Vocals

Martin Sweet (Bitchin Name, brutha) – Lead  Guitar

Peter London (Bitchin Back-up singer) - Bass

Eric Young (Hey Fatty, do some blow) – Drums

Comeback Kidz: A Brief History of Crashdiet

In 2003, Crashdiet was signed by Frontier Records and this marked for the first time in over a decade that a glam metal band had been signed by a major label. They produced the Swedish smash hit, Rest In Sleaze, which has since ignited the New Wave of Swedish Sleaze Metal movement. The band seemed poised to breakthrough in Europe and hell who knows maybe even in the United States. Tragically, their lead singer, Dave Lepard committed suicide in 2006 seemingly halting the band’s momentum. The other three band members made the difficult to press forward with new lead singer from the Finnish glam/pop metal band, Reckless Love. The album, Unattractive Revolution, was heavier than the previous offering, but Olli Twisted’s vocals just could not match the aggression of the music. As an aside, Olli has returned to his original band and is making great pop metal in the vein of Def Leppard under the Reckless Love banner (their new album, Animal Attraction, came out about a week ago. I definitely recommend Reckless Love to those who love BIG FUCKIN CHORUSES and really who doesn’t). The disappointing album lead many to believe that our glam heroes in Crashdiet were finished, stick a fork in them because they are well done. They continued to press on with their third singer, Simon Cruz (ex-Jailbait, fellow sleaze band) on their third album and there was a lot of pressure to execute a bitchin album. This time, Crashdiet dropped an absolute piece of metal destruction on our ears that screamed “We are the best glam metal band in the world today” and since I wrote that quote I have to agree.   

The mood is set on Generation Wild with sirens of a fallout shelter and bombs dropping conjuring the mood of the post-apocalypse. (I am a total sucker for post-apocalyptic albums!). The first song is the muscular Armageddon with a riff that would make DeMartini/Crosby proud. Cruz begins with an angry snarl that breaks into a scream before the chorus. The listener knows right then and there  Cruz is up for the task. The signature harmonized gang-chorus of Crashdiet is present with Cruz screaming “Armageddon” over the top. I think the bridge to the solo is a little weak and the solo is pretty good. All in all it is a good way to start off the album. 

The second song is a real barn-burner, So Alive, a nice heavy riff introduces the song with screams in the background. Then some kick-ass lyrics, “After midnight//Out For Blood//Lets make a big toast//To World Domination.” Fuck yeah, Crashdiet go fuckin take over this world and the parties around the globe will be better for it. There are great dynamics in the song that allow Crashdiet to highlight the vocals and guitar work of their songs. Sweet’s guitar tone is very W.A.S.P.-y, think Holmes in The Last Command just a lot of distorted fuzz that sounds like he is bending metal with his axe. 

The next song is the lead single and Swedish hit, the title track, Generation Wild, which is a brilliantly done metal anthem that contrasts a Whitesnake-y chorus with a W.A.S.P. riff. The chorus is so damn catchy and the breakdown will make you want to raise your fist in the air and scream “We are Generation Wild!” The video is actually pretty disturbing and involves a hot blonde chick drilling a hole in bound and gagged Cruz in pretty graphic fashion. I am going to give this the NSFW rating.

The sounds of motorcycle revving introduce Rebel, which is more punk than they care to admit and more punk than I should love. It cant be that punk after all because there is a bitchin solo and punks cant solo. (I mean choose not to solo because it is “clearly” an artistic decision) This fast-paced speedster sees Cruz at his screamin’ banshee best and the harmonized “Rebel!”. Not my favorite song on the album, but avoids being filler.

The first of two power ballads on the album is Save Her. These are the album’s weak points for sure. The beginning of the song sounds a little too modern for me especially Cruz’s vocals. I feel like one of the post-grunge clones could have ripped this off. Sweet’s guitar tone and the gang-vocals are the only thing that save this from being a modern power ballad. This all being said I do really like the verse after the solo it has a great desperation quality to it.

The return to hard rock form with, Down With Dust, a driving rhythm section carries the song as Cruz sounds a bit too monotone for my liking on the verses. I know he can do more vocal acrobatics because he has demonstrated this on the other songs. This song seems like filler as Sweet performs a good, but nothing to write home about harmonized solo. 

Then we hit an incredible two song run that basically vaults the album from a good glam metal to one of the best. The first is Native Nature. Holy shit, this thing smokes. I realize when I use the term “heavy metal” I am taking a big-tent definition and a lot of metal-heads would not consider any of this music, metal. First, they can go fuck themselves. Second, I would put this song right up against any of the traditional metal bands (your Judas Priests and Iron Maidens and their derivatives). The closest thing I can compare this to is Skid Row, but off the Slave of The Grind album. Just listen to the song because this is one of the best songs in genre. PERIOD. Got it? Why are you reading this? GO LISTEN! RIGHT MEOW!

So after all that aggression, what could Crashdiet possibly come up with that could match the brilliance of that song. O, why not just make the best pop metal song since the heyday of Def Leppard. The chorus of this song is one of the catchiest things you’ll ever hear and it will be in your head for days. The vocal delivery is spot-on with desperation of a drug-addiction for that one last taste of his woman (remember kids, women are drugs that you become addicted to in the domain of sleaze, ruh roh I am straight edge.) Same thing with this song applies to the last one. Just go listen to the song because it rules so absolutely hard. 

The final two songs are Bound To Fall and Beautiful Pain, the latter of which is a power ballad. The former is a mid-tempo rocker that I like a lot and I think it shows off Cruz’s vocal abilities really well as he is allowed to unleash his attitude. I am a sucker for the harmonized gang-shout of “Rise up!” and “Fall down!”. The power ballad is better than the previous one, but once again just is not up there with the power ballads of yesteryear.

On Generation Wild, Crashdiet produces a killer metal anthem, an incredible slab of heavy metal and the best pop metal chorus since the late 1980’s, not too shabby for a band on their singer in three albums. This whole album has a very early 80’s metal guitar tone reminiscent of W.A.S.P., while Cruz’s scream and snarl offer Crashdiet a range of vocal dynamics. In addition, Crashdiet adds a layer of pop sheen with their excellent executed harmonized gang-vocals. Thumbs way up for this gem from 2010, where the main things holding back are the power ballads and the fact I have not had as much time to process it as I have had with the 80’s albums. Crashdiet fuckin rocks and is the best kept secret in music. Go listen to them.