Bad Habit
Beth Blade And The Beautiful Disasters
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April 12, 2017
When you spend a while waiting for an album release as I have done with the debut album by BETH BLADE AND THE BEAUTIFUL DISASTERS, entitled "Bad Habit", there is always this looming dread that after the wait, the album may not be worth it. With fingers crossed I went in to this album hoping for the best.
As it turns out, I got what I hoped for. After a successful pledge music crowdfunding campaign, "Bad Habit" is finally out and is absolutely everything that anyone following this band from Cardiff, Wales, would have hoped for. It's packed full of and old school rock feel ala JOAN JETT with a more modern twist, instantly bringing HALESTORM to mind. Each and every song is bursting with attitude, from the opening anthem "Hell Yeah!", to the softer "Poster Girl For Pain", to the closing "Legends Never Die", there is rarely a dull moment.
The first three tracks all have a very similar feel to them, being fast paced, rough, and dirty riffed. This sets the stage nicely for what BETH BLADE is all about. Then we get to "Down And Dirty" which, with its catchy chorus, feels much more like single material than the songs preceding it. "Poster Girl For Pain" brings the temp way down with a beautiful and emotional song which easily became the stand out track for me because of how incredibly personal it felt. "This Bitch Bites" was the perfect way to follow this up, as its placement just after the softer song almost says "yeah ok, I opened up, but if you piss me off I will end you". "Hell In High Heels" is another single worth song with a great hook and plenty of attitude. The Only song on the album I wasn't totally sold on was "If You're Ready To Rock". It does have plenty of energy, and a good hook, but it feels a lot like a party song, which personally I'm not a fan of. Nothing wrong with it really, just wasn't a fan compared to the rest of the album. "Angel With A Dirty Face" brings the tempo back down, and it's here that we truly hear how great the vocals of Beth can be. Especially in those opening moments, the power and feeling in her voice really comes through. If you had doubted her before this, you surely won't doubt her any longer. I'm a sucker for a good ballad, and it turns out BETH BLADE AND THE BEAUTIFUL DISASTERS know exactly how to crank out a great one. Or two. The final track "Legends Never Die" is a great way to close out the album, as it clearly states Beth's love for music. Referencing bands such as Guns n Roses, Skid Row, Van Halen, Styx, Motorhead, and more. Some of the bands that obviously inspired Beth to do what she does. It talks about every stereotype associated with the rock n roll lifestyle and makes it all sound just as dirty and glorious as it should.
"Bad Habit", as I previously mentioned is what I had hoped for from this band. But even then, it's more than that. It's powerful, emotional, passionate, dirty, and raw. It's everything rock n roll should be, and I really hope that BETH BLADE AND THE BEAUTFUL DISASTERS get a hell of a lot of attention in the future. They should definitely be proud of themselves here, and if you are a fan of old school rock n roll, or newer bands such as the previously mentioned HALESTORM, you should absolutely check them out.
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9 / 10
Almost Perfect
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"Bad Habit" Track-listing:
1. Hell Yeah!
2. Bad Habit
3. Beautiful Disease
4. Down And Dirty
5. Poster Girl For Pain
6. This Bitch Bites
7. Hell In High Heels
8. If You're Ready To Rock
9. Angel With A Dirty Face
10. Legends Never Die
Beth Blade And The Beautiful Disasters Lineup:
Beth Blade - vocals/rhythm guitar
Craig Manning - lead guitar
Nicko Goodwin - bass
Sam Brain - drums
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