Go ahead and laugh if you must, but Beavis and Butthead associations aside, the debut album from this melodic quartet has a lot more balls than most people think. Clearly ‘80s pop metal, but more bottom-heavy than most bands that fit that category, at least on this release. Like many bands of the time, the most pop-friendly songs got all the attention, obscuring some of the harder stuff. There are excellent, clean vocals with just a bit of an edge -- think of a stouter Bon Jovi. The first single, "Madelaine" in particular has more crunch than the band’s reputation would suggest, with prominent bassist and vocalist Kip Winger at his raspiest. "Hungry" also has some attitude after a string intro, and a nice cover of Hendrix’s "Purple Haze" foreshadows guitarist Reb Beach’s stellar work on the 1993 offering ‘Pull’. The famous poppy chorus of "Seventeen" overshadows the heavier verses, as the harmonies in general can be overdone at times on this album. "Time To Surrender" also has some biting riffs, and proves to be another high point.
Fans of the glam era should give this one another try -- it’s actually aged pretty well, and really doesn’t sound nearly as dated as much of the music from that period. And regarding the aforementioned album 'Pull', THAT is when Winger would ultimately smote the idiotic Beavis and Butthead generation; do yourself a favor and follow up this release by listening to that artistic monster.

TRACK LIST:

1. Madelaine
2. Hungry
3. Seventeen
4. Without the Night
5. Purple Haze
6. State of Emergency
7. Time to Surrender
8. Poison Angel
9. Hangin On
10. Headed For a Heartbreak