Every Mother's Nightmare
"Deep Shades of Grey"
(Perris Records)

80's rockers Every Mother's Nightmare (more stalwarts from the decade of decadence!) have returned with a brand new album. How are they sounding these days? Well, they're still very much a hard rock band, playing straight ahead, no frills rock and roll, but some more "modern" elements have also crept into their music, with down tuned guitars, stripped down, raw production, and a slightly darker, more somber feel to their music, a bit less lighthearted than their earlier material. EMN seem to have also matured quite a bit, graduating beyond doing "candy rock" like "Love Can Make You Blind" and "Walls Come Down". That is not to say they've abandoned their classic sound, just updated it a bit, and moved up to the next level, unlike many of the surviving bands from this era, who keep going over the same old ground. Fans of old EMN should not be put off by that, because this is quite a good album. Their music is as hard rocking as ever! Most of the songs are gritty, groove-oriented rockers like "Done To Me", "Until I Break", "Paradise", "Solid Ground", "Bathe Me", "Fly Away", and "Takes Your Breath Away". There are also a couple of ballads, "Carbon" and "Hello Darkness", and they both reminded me of the Black Crows. The CD also contains a "hidden", unlisted track, a midtempo rocker called "Edge Of The Road" (I think). All in all, this is an enjoyable album. EMN play some good, straight-up rocking music and they do it well. The band is talented. Singer Rick Ruhl (the only original member remaining) sings with his rough Southern drawl, and guitarists Jeff Caughron and Travis Hall can really jam! The lineup is completed by bassist Troy Fleming and drummer Kris Beavers, who make up a good solid rhythm section. EMN have turned out rocking album here, and have progressed musically since their early days. This one should appeal to their older fans, and make them some new ones along the way. With the recent renewal of interest in all things 80's, EMN could be poised for a comeback here.

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