We've all got a role to fill in life. Some of us are succeeding at it, while some of us are rather not succeeding; sometimes that's because one's role is so niched that it's got to be timed just right. Consider all the old bands (as in 'ye olde') whose heyday is approaching fifty years ago, and who just can't do the four hour shows anymore. Those bands usually need another band who play a similar style to open up the show; maybe that's not the role we envisioned at guitar practice, but for better or worse, it's a niche role, and a musician should still feel lucky to be hired to fill it.

Somehow, the term Sleaze Rock has come to describe the modernized composite of Classic Blues Rock and 1980's Arena Rock, among other vintage/antique sounds. From the south of Norway comes one such act, KARDANG, whose album "We Ain't Dead Yet" is like a forty minute time machine back to when Rock n Roll ruled the roost, and the results are actually rather satisfying, at least by Metal Grandpa standards.

Sleaze Rock, Modern Rock, or whatever you want to call it, right at the album's start with "Turbo Prince", the listener is treated to the same sort of pomp to be expected from Classic Rock, but the delicious caveat is that it is not being obnoxiously overdone, like a real tribute instead of a parody. The title track which follows sets a pattern of old-sounding Blues Rock intros.

Some of the next few tracks are the album's clear best. The single potential on songs such as "Woman Like You", "Roll Baby Roll", and "Piece Of You" are just about undeniable, and all three songs should have little issue finding a place in the rotations of modern rock radio/podcasts. "Junkie Jane" sounds like it could have been on the original soundtrack for 1981's Heavy Metal.

Any weak links in the track list are mostly in the back end, as "Black Sky" is not nearly as exciting as the track prior, although it does manage to stay in its lane, similarly to the follower "Touchdown", with both tracks serving as decent filler. Ending things with "Face To Face", the decent-enough closer finishes on an okay fade to oblivion; nothing Earth-shattering, surely, but still enough to leave a good taste in the ears.

And that, at least, is accomplished. "We Ain't Dead Yet" may not be to the liking of the entire metal community, but anyone who can take the paint off and just enjoy themselves for a while will surely find this adequate, at least. KARDANG may not have made the fastest, hardest, most brutal album ever, but something they also didn't do was make any big mistakes. Each track, even the less great ones, all have a quality of craftsmanship from top to bottom. That might explain how the album, with eleven tracks at just under forty minutes, doesn't overstay its welcome.

So even though it's far from legendary, "We Ain't Dead Yet" is a practically flawless run for KARDANG. The familiar flavours are varied, ranging from AC/DC to HEAD EAST to BILLY freaking SQUIER, and yet, it's not annoying to sit through, in fact it's good toe-tapping fun. Good luck figuring out which playlist they belong in, but once those excellent tracks get their spot, they may just stay for a while. Hopefully, KARDANG is planning to do the same for the next one.