Formed from the ashes of glammers Bubblegum Screw, Neon Animal's debut album saw them taking a much heavier and darker approach than their previous incarnation with a definite tip of the hat to the Stooges, especially on the ominous "This Is The End". A promising start from a band who I'll definitely be keeping an eye on in the future.
49. DESPERATE JOURNALIST - "Grow Up"
Similar to their debut, "Grow Up" sees Desperate Journalist taking the best bits of early '80s new wave and goth and giving them a bit of a 21st century overhaul to blistering effect. It's not hard to see why this band have been getting as much good press as they have - believe me, this is definitely a case where the hype is justified.
48. JUNKYARD - "High Water" (Review here)
Biker-sleaze merchants Junkyard made a long overdue return to the recording fray in 2017. While "High Water" wasn't quite of the same ultra-high standard as their first two albums, it was still a commendable effort with plenty of the same fired-up swagger that marked their best work and a good reminder that this lot have definitely still got it.
47. THE BLUE CARPET BAND - "Rock 'n' Roll Carpet"
Having made their name with a series of explosive live gigs across London, "Rock 'n' Roll Carpet" was a solid first offering from the Blue Carpet Band, blending primordial Stooges style garage rock with G'n'R style swagger and the odd bit of Crampsian psychobilly. Unhinged, unglued and definitely a band worth checking out.
46. THE BLACKLIST SAINTS - "Intro Extro" (Review here)
It's a good four years since we were marking the Blacklist Saints as ones to watch at Pure Rawk but 2017 finally saw the band's debut album see the light of day and it was a decent effort with angsty rockers and Smashing Pumpkins/Therapy? style ballads with bruises proving a decent combination. Hopefully that next album will arrive a bit quicker!
45. TRUE MOON - "True Moon" (Review here)
Mixing the aesthetic of late '90s groups like the Raveonettes with the classic goth sounds of the '80s (think the Cult or the Sisters of Mercy), this was a very promising debut from these kohl-eyed Swedes. Although there are still a couple of kinks to be ironed out, True Moon have certainly got plenty of promise and it'll be interesting to see where they go from here.
44. THE CHERRY DOLLS - "Viva Los Dolls" (Review here)
For those who remember that brief period in about 2002-03 when groups like Jet, the Datsuns and the Vines made Australia and New Zealand the centre of the rock 'n' roll universe for about five minutes, listening to the Cherry Dolls is bound to bring back some memories with it's low slung Iggy style swagger mixed in with some more reflectful laid-back moments. Good stuff.
43. ALICE COOPER - "Paranormal"
Okay, in all honesty, yes "Paranormal" is arguably a bit of an Alice-by-numbers album especially when compared to its "everything but the kitchen sink" predecessor "Welcome 2 My Nightmare". But even when he's in by-numbers mode, Alice can still kick up enough of a racket to put a lot of younger bands to shame and the likes of "Paranoiac Personality" and "Dead Flies" definitely prove that he's still got it all these years on.
42. CYANIDE PILLS - "Sliced 'n' Diced" (Review here)
Although the Cyanide Pills' third album sees them continue to mine their addictive brand of Buzzcocks influenced pop-punk, there's definitely signs of evolution afoot with songs like "I Don't Remember" and "Laid Off" adding a newfound political anger to the mix with some of the songs veering into rockabilly and psychedelic territory as well. The sound of a group moving confidently forwards in other words and long may it continue.
41. KING SALAMI AND THE CUMBERLAND THREE - "Going Back To Wurstville" (Review here)
Third album from the North London sausage-obsessed rock 'n' rollers and pretty much a straight continuation of the previous two but since they rocked like the proverbial caveman's house, so did this one. Veering from revved up stompers like "Tiger In My Tank" to insane instrumentals like "King Ghidora", this one is a fun listen.
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