Review: Will the Thrill – Take It Sleazy

Weapon Records / Vanity Music Group (October 6^th, 2023)

Reviewer: Jason Hopper

Did you ever hear Tom Petty on the radio and thought to yourself, “I wonder what it would sound like if he sung sleaze metal”? That was the first thought to come to mind when I heard the track ‘Running Round in Circles’ off the Will the Thrill album ‘Take It Sleazy‘. That is not an endorsement. It’s the biggest detractor to this album.

I’ve never heard of Will the Thrill before but he has several albums under his belt. I can’t compare his prior releases to this one and I have no desire to research them based upon this release. To be forthright, the music is well written and constructed. It’s standard 80’s type hard rock recorded with a solid production.

The problems lie in the vocals. Will’s vocal prowess is that of a new wave artist. There is not a lot of power to his voice. That does not mean he doesn’t sing well, he just doesn’t sing well for the music featured here. He cannot carry these tunes with his range. In an ironic twist, he sounds best on the song ‘I Don’t Like Your Shitty Band’. It has a more punk rock feel, and his vocal approach is better suited to that sound. His limits drag all the other songs down.

There’s a few standout tracks. The best is album closer ‘Riot’. It’s a high energy rocker with some terrific guitar playing from Will. Its faster rhythm forces Will to speak more and not stretch out the notes as much. Also of note, it’s got a killer guitar solo. The aforementioned ‘I Don’t Like Your Shitty Band’ fits into Will’s wheelhouse. What’s sad is that a bunch of other songs have strong constructions and are melodious in all the right ways, but the vocals diminish the overall product.

The promo for this album includes a blurb referencing a poor review for his last album. Why would anyone think it would be a good idea to include that in a promo for the new album? What needs to happen here is Will should stick to guitar and hire a vocalist who can take these songs and inject them with the power they need. There’s quality stuff here, but that one missing ingredient makes all the difference.

Tracklist:

1. I Just Want Your Love Tonight
2. Creep
3. SEX
4. Ain’t Gonna Mean a Thing
5. Push Real Hard
6. Always Be Number Two
7. The More I Lose, the More I Win
8. Lying to Myself
9. I Don’t Like Your Shitty Band
10. Running Round in Circles
11. Strangers in the Night
12. 12. Riot