They way I figured it from the incoming release; it doesn't seem to be really hard to go mainstream. METALLICA and BON JOVI did it, failed many of their loyal fans and still do today. MEGADETH and PARADISE LOST did it as well but came back to their senses rolling in fast speed reverse thus regaining their rightful recognition as stars. There are tons of examples which I can babble about page after page; however, I will cut it right here and head on. I present you the new ordeal of KOTTAK, the band named after the famous SCORPIONS's American drummer, James Kottak.

There is no actual connection between KOTTAK and the bands I mentioned, however, there is one thing he has in common with those; he also sunk deeper into the mainstream, yet, just as METALLICA and BON JOVI, never lifted back up again. Furthermore, and this belongs only to KOTTAK and not METALLICA or BON JOVI on this little story, the rate of the material that was presented on this new third album, "Attack", sunk even lower. After giving a rather cool performance with some great Glam Metal / Hard Rock with bits of MTV Punky stuff on his last album, "Rock N' Roll Forever", Kottak's approach went to the cheesiness of the MTV style of Punk Rock. Let's just say that it went into the banality of this mix.

Not that this mixture of Punk and Rock N' Roll is bad or anything, even on MTV, it is just way tiresome to hear the same stuff once again. Meaning, if you know the respectable PENNYWISE or BLINK 182, you would get what I am talking about. If not, think about a series of riffs and songs structures that sum up to a very tight, yet small variety. Moreover, some of the songs as "Sexy Motherfucker" and "Bang Bang Baby" were quite mediocre as those were lyrically idiotic even for happily Punk songs.

Surging back to the music, "Attack" showed the opposite of what it represented. While "Rock N' Roll Forever" provided a somewhat essence of 80s Hard Rock along with some Metal and Punk, here it was different. Punk riffs may come as addictive sometimes, and it is hard to avoid their wickedness, but how much can one take from a band that once made something pretty good with Hard Rock. I didn't expect these guys to be as heavy or classy as SCORPIONS, yet even with their loose cannon feel, KOTTAK failed to interest me this time.

I have to admit that while listening I heard them doing some good works on this one, even with the cheesiness of it all. "Perfect Defects" that presented a fine word game of antonyms and really kicked ass with a great chorus and a solid main riff. "Teenage Kix" played its part nicely as a slick opener, catchy as hell with some show of force. Its follower, "Scandalous", wasn't that bad either with its cool form. "World War Love" was in the likes of "Perfect Defects" and was rather interesting both lyrically and musically.

Kottaktried to make an album that will continue the youthful sounds of the 80s while to forcefully fit it to 00s mainstream MTV music. Well, to say that he failed will be a lie. However, Rock fans that expect a little more out of this veteran dude along with the drum sister of the Crue Tommy Lee, Athena, would probably resent this overly Punky effort. The potential is always there. Kottak knows how to form catchy songs and his last album showed it. I think that going full time Punk isn't the right answer and it the future the material should strongly be merged once again with Glam Metal.