All Night Long

Hard rock bands never have to go out of style if they can write fresh material. The dark experimentalism of <i>Black Butterfly</i> has set the band up perfectly for the explosive party vibe of <i>All Night Long</i>. The opening one-two punch of the title track and “It’s a Party” reflect the best aspects of L.A. hard rock circa 1988, with remnants of Guns N’ Roses, Mötley Crüe and Poison deep in their sound with a taste of taut AC/DC powerchords driving “Oh My Lord”. Even the ballads come across with power and what passes for sincerity in glam metal with the sweet gallop of “These Things” supplying even more room for guitar histrionics. “Recovery”, “Never Say Never” and “Liberty” snarl with the passion of prime- period Sunset Strip hard rock. Swaggering and sleazy, tough as leather and elastic as spandex, Buckcherry prove no genre is dead as long as one band can keep it going.