Andrew W.K.

From page 74 of Classic Rock Magazine October 2003



Cover of October 2003 issue.
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‘The Wolf’ (Mercury)

Andrew W.K. has always seemed like Beavis’s pal Butthead, who finally got the brace removed, grew his hair and learned to play keyboards. ‘The Wolf’ is W.K.’s second album and, like the first, sounds like 12 tracks of Ramones tunes played by ABBA, with vocals by Metallica’s James Hetfield.

From the grand, dramatic opener ‘Victory Strikes Again’, the template of anthemic, rebellious songs that sound like Starship and Rainbow at the wrong speed, is set. ‘Your Rules’ is genuinely stirring, and ‘Tear It Up’ is slightly more adventurous with its cut-and-paste intro and Elton John overblown rock dynamics, which call for punching at nothing in the air until you spill your pint. The songs build and build, but don’t ever really go anywhere, and few live up to the promise of their intros.

While ‘The Wolf’ huffs and puffs, it never blows the house down. Despite Andrew W.K.’s snarling, there’s a palpable feeling that underneath all the bristles ‘The Wolf’ is about as dangerous as Red Riding Hood.

★★★ ★★ Mark Norton

UFO
Mosh macabre






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