I hate imitation, I really do! When I'm in a good mood and I put a brand new staff on my cd player, I just want to discover something new and travel through the melodies and the artist's inspiration; but when there is any to trip into and instead of the band's originality/ identity, I meet some bad 'copy/ paste' thing, I am not capable to handle it and unfortunately, the album gathers into my dead stock. That was exactly happened when I tried to listen to DOUBLE CROSS new album and I was really disappointed; to tell the truth, I have never worked on their previous debut album and that's my first attempt in their music efforts but the taste that "II" has left at me was quite bitter and hard.

This German/ Italy mix Heavy Metal quartet make its second step into discography with "II", an album full of energy and 'easy-listening' mood and also, full of copying glorious moments of leviathans like GUNS N' ROSES and W.A.S.P. are. Ok, you don't see something blameworthy in this, but let's face it; if I wanna hear some "Wild Child" staff or a "Welcome To The Jungle" tune, I will prefer the originals and not some 2010's record that trying so hard to revive my teenage époque's dreams in such unfortunate way as DOUBLE CROSS do. I can also understand that Axl and Blackie still remain some of the unreachable idols for the youngest artists, but the only thing you manage when you are copying their thing, is to show disrespect to their work with your unreasonable imitation.

So, I don't have much to tell about this album; from the opening "With No Illusions (I'm Back)" and its reedy 'bad-ass' GUNS N' ROSES attitude, till the bad "Wild Child" 'copy/ paste' main riff and the aimless 'rock 'n' use' addition of the bonus "Use Me Baby", you'll find 48 minutes of sonic flabbiness and gassy boredom that makes time just tick inside the clock and nothing more. The only exception maybe is the heaviness and the truth that "Blind Eyes" carries or the punk rock tempo of "Take Me Away", if you step aside Matt Browstone's mediocre vocals and focus in the guitars' parts.

Nevertheless, the parameters are so many to characterize a discographic result if it's good or bad, if it has potential or it's indifferent. It's not enough the good performance, the well-played songs and the silvery production; the A and the Z for a good album is the inspiration most of all and the non copying thing of the pushing influences. And that's the absolute absent in the DOUBLE CROSS case.