Metal Mind Productions gives you a chance to hear the best and the worst of the band Bang Tango with their re-release of the 1991 disc Dancin' On Coals. You will see what made everyone think that this group had promise and also find the reasons that they never could break into the mainstream. Adding a funkiness to their heavy metal sound they are a band that sounds like they doesn't know just where they want to be. The very first song "Soul To Soul" is a prime example as they go heavily into the world of funk and then when you get to the second offering "United And True" they take a pure hair metal stand that is where I think their strength lies. When you then go to the next song, "Emotion In Gear" a power ballad reminiscent of so many others from the time period you get the feeling this is a band trying to find itself.
I have never been against spreading your wings or trying new things but sometimes a band can turn it into a convoluted mess by never showing any kind of cohesiveness. Sometimes it seems like they are throwing spaghetti against the wall to see if they can get any to stick.
This is not to say that there is not any worthwhile songs on the disc. The title song "Dancin' On Coals" is a real slice of the MTV heyday heavy metal that should have seen rotation along side of the likes of Ratt, Whitesnake or any of the metal bands of the time. "Last Kiss" is another song that is a great example of what these guys can do when they set their mind to it. Feel good rock and roll that makes you want to break out the air guitar.
The problem is that there is not enough of the good stuff. It is mostly an album of forgettable tunes which will be gone from memory as soon as the disc ends. They might not be terrible but are just very ordinary and bland.
Metal Mind Productions has added a couple of live tracks as a bonus to this album. A remake of the T-Rex tune "20th Century Boy" and the original song "Futurama". Neither is enough to pull this disc out of the doldrums. It might be something for the Bang Tango fanatics but neither adds to or takes away from the original album.
All in all this is a very run of the mill offering that has a couple bright spots but that is about it.
Track listing:
1. Soul To Soul
2. United And True
3. Emotion In Gear
4. I'm In Love
5. Big Line
6. Midnight Struck
7. Dancin' On Coals
8. My Saltine
9. Dressed Up Vamp
10. Last Kiss
11. Cactus Juice
12. 20th Century Boy (Bonus)
13. Futurama (Bonus)
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
