ALBUM REVIEW: Lower The Bar – Steel Panther

There is a huge variety of bands renowned for having their own distinct sound in the world of rock and metal. Whether it be Power Metal through the likes of SABATON, or even alternative bands such as SKINDRED, they all have a specific focus or sound which makes them stand out from the crowd. One of these bands is American heavyweights STEEL PANTHER. The group have been well known for their parody on the 80’s glam rock scene, as well as their unique lyrical style. The band have released their fifth studio album Lower The Bar, and the recipe hasn’t changed.

As soon as you hit play on the new record, you know straight away that the track is a STEEL PANTHER number. The opening track, Goin’ in the Back Door, contains all the elements – hard hitting riffs, strong vocals and of course what everyone wants in a STEEL PANTHER track…explicit lyrics about sex. The sound is very much the same throughout, though what makes this particular record special is that it is really split into two halves. The first five songs are all generic STEEL PANTHER tracks, which are all exceptional. But then you reach the sixth track, Now The Fun Starts, and from then on it takes you on a musical journey.

From this point on, it is very difficult to pick out a stand out track, and in all fairness every single song that features on the album is sublime in their own different way. But one track that can be picked out as a standout hit is I Got What You Want. This is the longest track on the record, and straight away starts off with an incredible riff from the guitar of Satchel, but the pace is a tad slower than what you would normally expect. It’s almost as if the track is a ‘ballad’ compared to the rest of the album. It also shows the ‘softer’ side of the band; even though they are renowned for their brash and explicit style, it also shows that the band can adapt to different styles, which only some bands are capable of doing successfully.

It’s incredible to think how quickly STEEL PANTHER have grown as a band, particular when you consider that this is their fifth album during a career which has spanned since 2003. Having said that, it normally takes most well-known bands around the same number of albums to become established in the music industry. When you look at the band’s discography, Lower The Bar is potentially the best album STEEL PANTHER have made in their career, as it really shows how the band have grown and grown each year since their debut record. Anyone who is already a fan of STEEL PANTHER will love this record, and anyone who is looking to dip their toe in hard rock/heavy metal, this record is very highly recommended.

Rating: 9/10

Lower The Bar is out now via Open E Entertainment.

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