The self-titled debut from MonkeyHead merits mention not so much because of the Eighties-influenced pop metal this quartet — led by Bulletboys guitarist Jason Hook — plays. Rather, MonkeyHead’s got the "kink factor" going for it. Opening track "The One That Makes Your Crazy" sets the tone for the rest of this album with these closing lines: "And if I kiss you there, tell you to touch yourself/You can tie me up, tell me what turns you on/Make love to someone else, so I can hear you scream/Pretend that you’re the man, crank up the hard thing."
As singer Simon Davies writes on MonkeyHead’s web site (www.monkeyheadmusic.com), "We’re a product of all the trashy, balls-out rock ’n’ roll clichés we grew up on. And trust me, it’s only gonna get worse." I don’t know if Davies is referring to the clichés or the music. Use the Bulletboys’ only real hit, 1988’s "Smooth Up In Ya," as a reference point for what these 11 songs sound like. But also listen a little deeper and you’ll sort of hear social commentary in "Bow To Your Master," cringe at the perils of drug addiction in "Morphine," and ponder the afterlife in "All My Friends In Heaven." Still, none of those songs will stick in your craw as much as "The One That Makes You Crazy" and "Adriana," whose chorus is pure glam ear candy: "I hate to love you Adriana, walk all over me it feels alright/I love to hate you Adriana, walk on me darling, I hate to love you Adriana."
If you're still undecided about MonkeyHead, consider this: The band photo in the CD booklet features one member wearing a cut-off T-shirt with the word "slut" emblazoned all over it. Rock on, dude.
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