Sins

Albumbeschreibung

Looking to change up their brand of hard rock sleaze, Baltimore's Charm City Devils return with a bigger and more expansive sound on their sophomore effort, Sins. Stepping out of the shadows of AC/DC, Charm City Devils explore a heavier, more modern sound on the album, adding a layer of thickness and polish that pushes them more into the world of post-grunge than revivalist hard rock. While this change gives the band a bigger, more emotional sound, it leaves the album sounding, ironically, more homogeneous. Where the band had originally built a sound based on old-fashioned bluesy grit and swagger, this new studio sheen leaves the group feeling more like Nickelback than Aerosmith. On the upside, Sins finds the band showing more emotional depth, with songs like "Walk Away" and the power ballad "All You'll Ever Need" revealing a more vulnerable side that was hidden away by Let's Rock-N-Roll's searing rock bravado. With this more modern sound in place, the Devils take a stab at the nearly 100-year-old traditional tune "Man of Constant Sorrow," updating the folk ballad with chugging guitars and scorching solos as it trudges along like a freight train. Though Charm City Devils certainly don't have any trouble rocking out, Sins still feels like a tradeoff for them, as they sacrifice some of the fun of their old sound for something altogether more mature. While this change in direction might leave those who initially came to the band through the beer-fueled good-times party vibe of Let's Rock-N-Roll disappointed, it definitely opens them up to a whole new legion of potential devotees.
© Gregory Heaney /TiVo