Review: Notörious – Marching On

Pride & Joy Music (January 19^th 2024)

Reviewer: Jason Hopper

An album I felt never got the recognition it deserved was Tigertailz’s 1990 album ‘Bezerk‘. I don’t believe it got a US release and don’t remember reading about them in the American rock magazines of that time. When I discovered them years later, I remember thinking it was a damn shame they never broke through before grunge took over.

I say all this because if you dug that band, then you don’t want to make the same mistake and miss out on a band that has the exact feel of that album. Notörious are about to release their second album ‘Marching On‘ and it’s everything I love about the sleaze metal genre. This album offers killer hooks, catchy pop-infused melodies, and an energy that made me want to return to the album so often that I found it difficult to step away to review other albums.

After a brief intro, we’re greeted with opening track ‘Manimal’, which thankfully is not a W.A.S.P. cover and roars out of the gate. There’s a rawness and ferocity to the song that pairs perfectly with its melodious undertones. It prepares you for what is to come on the album…or so I though.

I did not anticipate what I would get with the next track. ‘All Night’ is constructed in a way as to maximize its crossover potential to radio as if this was the late 80s. If this album was released during that decade, this would have been the single the record company would have pushed.  Don’t take that to mean there isn’t an edge to it, but it’s pop-oriented in all the ways bands use to write that crossover track that wasn’t ballad-based. If you’re familiar with the previously mentioned ‘Bezerk‘ album, ‘All Night’ is this band’s version of ‘Love Bomb Baby’. A great track, but a different animal altogether.

The rest of the album walks the line between these first two tracks. Along with W.A.S.P. and Tigertailz, Notörious honors Mötley Crüe with ‘Ten Minutes’, which utilizes the same opening as ‘All in the Name of…’ but deviates just enough to make the song their own. ‘Remember Me’ made me think of Britny Fox as this song could have easily made it onto their debut album.

I must mention not just the best song on the album, but one of the best songs I’ve heard all year. The album closes with the title track and features black metal singer Henrik Skar on (mostly) background vocals. One might scratch their head at such a pairing, but it works! These two genres mixed with a perfect Yngwie Malmsteen template solo from Nikki DiCato makes it a kick ass track. I’ve played it a few dozen times and it seems to get better the more I listen to it.  With that said, I could have done without the final minute and forty seconds, where the tempo slows to a crawl and Henrik takes over the vocals to close out the track. I will say that the benefit of an iPhone is its ability to edit songs down. That leaves four minutes and 10 seconds of sleaze metal perfection, which suits me just fine. It’s one of my favorite songs I’ve heard this year. This song demands to be played on the loudest speakers you can find.

A standout on the album is guitarist Nikki DiCato, who clearly studied at the school of Malmsteen, with many of his solos incorporating all the tools Yngwie uses to get his unique sound and neo-classical vibe.  It meshes well with the band’s sleaze metal stylings.

As great as this album is, I take issue with the length and the production. The album is only eight tracks and clocks in at just 35 minutes. I never understood how bands choose not to throw in a cover song to pad an album if they don’t have enough material. It would seem like an easy fix and would make the album a more worthwhile purchase. Regarding production, the album sounds like it was mixed a little too loud. With decent speakers, the material sounds great. On a phone speaker or basic computer speakers, the sound was muddled and not crisp. Quality speakers will be required to truly enjoy the album.

A quick note. ‘Ain’t No Stoppin’ features singer Mark Boals. If his name was not listed beside the song title, I would have never known he was featured.  I believe he just does harmonies.

This album is a hell of a lot of fun to crank and bang your head to. The Tigertailz comparison is undeniable. Lead singer Chris Höudini even has a similar vibrato to Kim Hooker. Regarding more modern sleaze bands, White Tyger and Toxic Rose also come to mind as comparison bands. There’s not one bad track on here. If this is what 2024 has in store for us, then we are going to get one hell of a year of great music.

Tracklist:

1. Intro
2. Manimal
3. All Night
4. Ain’t No Stoppin (feat. Mark Boals)
5. Ten Minutes
6. Eternal Fire
7. Remember You
8. Venom
9. Marching On (feat. Henrik Skar)