ALBUM REVIEW: Rad Wings Of Destiny – Ugly Kid Joe

After 33 years, UGLY KID JOE have finally gotten around to their fifth album Rad Wings Of Destiny, their first since 2015’s Uglier Than They Used Ta Be. Having always had a quite tongue-in-cheek approach to lyrics and songwriting generally, they’ve created some classic tracks that stand on the cusp of hard rock and old-school heavy metal, with added funk at times – see the likes of Funky Fresh Country Club, Neighbor and Everything About You as prime examples – and it’s hard to understand at times why they haven’t broken through into the public consciousness more than they have.

It has to be said, though, that this album in the main does not live up to their previous works. Some tracks, such as opener That Ain’t Livin’ and mid-release Dead Friends Play sound more like an AC/DC clone than a lot of their previous work and it feels almost like a disservice to their legacy that they have veered more in this direction. They at times seem far more generic than they used to, and while the songs are not bad, there just doesn’t seem to be quite as much life about a good portion of this release as one might expect from a band with such a previously high calibre of release.

There are still some high points to this release with the above in mind. Up In The City, a track that’s almost perfectly understated in its approach, is probably the pick of the crop, though the ballad Everything’s Changing is also pretty good. There’s also a cover of THE KINKS‘ Lola that is pretty faithful to the original, just as they’ve done before with previous covers of the likes of Cat’s In The Cradle which fits quite well with the general attitude of the album. While Dead Friends Play does sound more generic, it’s also a homage to bands that have come before, such as BLACK SABBATH, who they have repeatedly been clear about idolising previously, and gets a brownie point or two for this approach.

There’s overall a general level of disappointment with Rad Wings Of Destiny. The few high points don’t really make up for what feels pretty lacklustre at times. There aren’t any bad tracks, to be clear on this point, it’s just that you don’t really feel as connected to a lot of them as you probably would have with previous releases. The couple of high points are fairly high, to give them credit, but they feel more like the exception than the rule to the album as a whole. One can only hope that it’s not a sign of things to come from what have previously been a quite criminally underrated band.

Rating: 4/10

Rad Wings Of Destiny is out now via Metalville.

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