Search - Warrant :: Born Again

Best Warrant effort since Cherry Pie

Jeff Bredeson | Rockford, IL | 01/14/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Just like many of their peers from the decade of decadence, Warrant returns with a new singer and a new studio album, attempting to dish out their product with no record company support and only fanfare to help it along the way. With a number of spins of their new disc completed, I can honestly say that Warrant delivers one of the best new albums that any group from their era has released in quite some time.



With the return of Steven Sweet and Joey Allen, all of the original noisemakers in the back are reunited. While the musical style is a nice return to the form of their heyday, it is nowhere as noticeable as in the group-chant style backing vocals that really made Warrant's sound so unique in the 80s. Additionally, Jamie St. James delivers some excellent vocal work, and certainly does an admirable job as Jani Lane's replacement. It is not difficult at all to really get into the music without giving a second thought to the fact the singer is different, which simply says to me that the change is pretty seamless. Well, at least vocally.



The one downfall to this CD would come in the songwriting area, lyrics specifically. There are more than a few instances where the lyrics fall into that "Things that make you go CRINGE" category, which if you're a fan of Jamie's Black 'N Blue days, you are all too familiar with. On multiple occasions, the lines feel forced, contrived, and just rhyme for the sake of rhyme. However, all of these lines only add to the charm of the album, and I actually find myself looking forward to singing along to "Live like I live in Russia!" every time Dirty Jack comes on.



In all, this really is a very solid record that will take you back to the times when hair metal ruled the MTV airwaves, yet still somehow manages to avoid sounding overly dated. I don't think Billboard will be having much to do with it, but I stopped caring about the mainstream decades ago. If you're a fan of Warrant's early work and still buy albums from bands of that time, this one is as good as any, and I highly recommend it."

Still Alive and Well

John Carroll | Alpharetta, GA USA | 10/18/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This band was one of the biggest punching bags for the rock critics back in the late 80's..some of it deserved(white leather outfits in the video for Heaven comes to mind). But, while those rock critics are now selling insurance the cats in Warrant(sans Jani Lane who is doing god knows what) are cranking out melodic heavy southern california rock. They also aren't trying to "fit in" with any trend. They are clearly comfortable in their 40's something skin and are just playing what they know. Dirty Jack has a throbbing groove that would have been a hit 20 years ago. Bourbon County Line starts off with a monster riff which reminds me of how great it is to have Joey Allen back in the fold. You might not recognize him as he's half bald(it happens folks) and wears glasses, but this cat wails throughout(check out the solos in Angels, Down in Diamonds, & Roller Coaster). Jamie St James(x Black N Blue) sings just fine. His voice isn't quite as emotive as Lanes' but it is tuneful and he gives off a vibe of confidence and positivity that fits right in. He also wrote the best song on the record- Roxy. This is the classic 70's/80's style sleaze rock track that makes Warrant a fun band to listen to. I'm glad these guys have stuck it out. They may not make platinum albums any more but there are still a lot of folks out there like myself that appreciate how good this music can make you feel."