BEAUTIFUL CREATURES – Deuce

During the barren years of the 1990’s and early naughties, when Grunge and then Nu-Metal ruled the roost, riffs, guitar solos, and anthemic choruses were banished from the airwaves.

To the media, Rock as all had come to know it was finished and the new order had taken over. In reality, however, Traditional Rock became the underground and the former underground became the main stream.

There was the odd glimmer of hope for those hankering after good time Rock. Around the turn of the century, Buckcherry were heralded as the new stars of the millennium, and they were soon followed by Beautiful Creatures.

Beautiful Creatures were formed in 2000 and featured the vocal talents of one time Bang Tango front man, Jo Leste. Their self-titled debut album was released on Warner Bros. Records to a tumultuous fanfare in 2001.

Unfortunately, despite the hype, the rave reviews, the Rock Revival stuttered as Buckcherry folded after the release of their second album, and Beautiful Creatures disappeared off the radar screen after being dropped by their record label.

Former candidates for the “Where Are They Now?” category, Beautiful Creatures have come bouncing back with their latest release, Deuce.

Album opener, “Anyone,” set the tone for what’s to follow … big on riffs and coming across like Corrosion of Conformity in a cosy threesome with Brutal Planet/Dragontown-era Alice Cooper, and with a snatch of Rob Zombie.

Next up is the driving rocker “Freedom,” with its chest beating chorus coming across as the bastard child of The Cults “Fire Woman.”

“Save Me” is strongly representative of the album as a whole, combining the aforementioned big traditional riffing guitars with a modern twist together with memorable hooks giving the disc a refreshing slant.

“Superfly” features strongly distorted vocals from Leste, bringing the bands sound back up to date. Talking of Leste, his vocal style is somewhat limited but effective in the Beautiful Creatures environment. “Empty,” in particular, uses his style to maximum effect with its semi-whispered verse and stirring shouted chorus.

The most experimental track is “Never” with its almost Industrial intro., before launching into a particularly vociferous chorus. An angst-ridden anthem for the disaffected youth of today.

“Straight To Hell” follows and takes us back to a more Traditional Metallic approach with a punchy riff and driving beat. Guitarist Anthony Focx lets rip with a searing solo.

“Ton of Lead” is a smouldering mid-paced Southern Rock tinged monster, featuring a particularly passionate Leste delivery, underpinned by a bass heavy riff trading into Corrosion of Conformity and Spiritual Beggars territory.

The pace of Deuce barely lets up through the whole of the album, delivering granite-edged riffs, smoking vocals, and those irresistible catchy hooks that coarse through the disc like the name through a stick of Blackpool rock.

The only let up is the closing “I Won’t Be The One,” which could quite easily be performed on Leste’s porch with an acoustic guitar and a bottle of Jack Daniels.

Beautiful Creatures have come back with a strong album that will appeal to those of a more traditional inclination, as well as those looking for something a touch more modern, and should provide the springboard for their future.