WILDKING is a three-piece band hailing from Brianza, Italy, and they have just dropped the album "Back Home" onto an unsuspecting public. I am often late to the party on some of the newer European bands and don't really know a lot about them going into a review. Such is the case for this band. They certainly have roots in the blues, claiming influence from such widespread artists as ZZ TOP, JOE BONAMASSA, and AC/DC. I also hear a lot of Southern Rock influence here as well, especially in the guitar work. If you can imagine a world where MOTORHEAD were a Southern Rock band, then subtract Lemmy Kilmister's particular charm, you are getting close to the sound on this nine-track, forty-minute record.

I cannot complain too much about these guys, musically speaking, as they are all very adept musicians. The problem that I found myself facing was in the vocal delivery and the monotony of the songs. Dudu's voice, like Lemmy's, is full of sandpaper and turpentine, but he lacks the cleverness and personality to make this particular work interesting at all.

"Long Way Back To Home" opens the record, and when I heard the intro, I couldn't help but to compare it (of all things) to the theme music from the MTV series Beavis and Butthead. The guitar lick that opens it definitely shares some similarities. I have to admit there were moments, both listening to the song and watching the official video, where I could see Butthead saying "Whoa!" and of course getting the standard response "Yeah, these guys are cool." I say this only half-jokingly.

There are moments where the band really shows up musically and saves what could otherwise be considered laughable. "Make It Right" features a fantastic intro and some damn fine guitar work throughout. The solo that Rena pulls off around the two minute and forty second mark is quite amazing: blistering, with a touch of bluesy attitude shining through. The same can be said for the songs "Circus," where the band falls into a nice, slow groove; and "Down Home," with its Southern Rock attitude and heavy crunch. The problem really goes back to the lyrical content and the monotonous vocal tone, which rears its ugly head on every track. These guys can play, and if they had a vocalist with a pen in his hand, they would be badasses.