REVIEW: BLACK N’ BLUE – Hell Yeah!

 

BLACK N’ BLUE – Hell Yeah! (2011)

Frontiers Records

The return of the Black N’ Blue attitude

Who would have thought that, after more than a decade of hard rock decadence during the '90s, so many of the melodic rock and hair metal bands of the '80s would return? By 2011, a remarkable number of established names from that era were making comebacks, and Black N’ Blue were among them. Hell Yeah! is the band's fifth studio album and, more importantly, their first full-length collection of new material since In Heat in 1988.

Released through Frontiers Records in 2011, the album arrived after a particularly long and complicated road back to the studio. Black N’ Blue had reunited in 2003, with vocalist Jaime St. James and original guitarist Jef “Woop” Warner beginning work on new material, but the recording process was interrupted when St. James joined Warrant as their lead vocalist in 2004. Work eventually resumed, and the band finally secured a deal with Frontiers.

The lineup retains much of the band's classic identity. Jaime St. James remains on vocals alongside Jef “Woop” Warner on guitar, Patrick Young on bass and Pete Holmes on drums, while Shawn Sonnenschein joins on guitar. Tommy Thayer, Black N’ Blue's original guitarist, was by then firmly established in KISS, having taken over the guitar position previously occupied by Ace Frehley.

And Hell Yeah! wastes very little time reminding the listener why Black N’ Blue belonged to the American hard rock scene of the '80s.

The album explodes with the kick-ass rocker “Monkey”, immediately followed by the hard and heavy “Target”, two of the strongest songs on the record. The production is considerably more modern than the band's original albums, but the basic ingredients remain intact: chunky guitar riffs, straightforward hard rock structures, catchy choruses and the loose, slightly sleazy attitude that characterized Black N’ Blue.

Next comes the mid-tempo “Hail Hail”, built around a large arena-style chorus that makes the band's intentions perfectly clear. This is Black N’ Blue returning to their established musical territory rather than attempting to reinvent themselves. The album's own producer, Jef “Woop” Warner, described the record as a return to the band's classic sound, combining elements from their previous albums while retaining a heavier character.

There is plenty more to discover throughout the album. The fast “C’mon” delivers another dose of energetic hard rock, while “So Long” brings a more melodic side to the record without abandoning the band's identity. “Falling Down” and “Candy” continue the balance between heavier guitar-driven material and more accessible melodic writing.

Then comes “Hell Yeah!”, the title track and one of the album's most immediately memorable numbers. It carries exactly the kind of uncomplicated, celebratory hard rock attitude suggested by its title, while St. James' vocals give the song the personality associated with Black N’ Blue from the beginning of their career.

Interestingly, Hell Yeah! also contains several short, humorous interludes, including “Jaime's Got the Beer” and “Trippin'”, which reinforce the band's deliberately unpretentious attitude. The standard album closes with “World Goes Round”, while some editions include additional material such as “I Smell a Rat” and a hidden track.

Black N’ Blue had originally emerged from Portland, Oregon, before moving to Los Angeles and becoming part of the early-'80s Hollywood hard rock scene. Their debut appeared on Geffen in 1984, followed by Without Love in 1985, Nasty Nasty in 1986 and In Heat in 1988. The latter two albums were produced by KISS bassist Gene Simmons, adding another important connection between Black N’ Blue and the wider American hard rock establishment. The band's catalogue eventually exceeded one million sales in the United States.

That history makes Hell Yeah! more than simply another reunion album. There is a genuine sense of continuity here. The band does not attempt to disguise its roots or follow the production trends that had transformed melodic hard rock during the years between In Heat and this release. Instead, the record concentrates on what Black N’ Blue did best: direct riffs, memorable refrains, energetic performances and a good-time rock 'n' roll atmosphere.

It is also significant that the album was not created immediately after the reunion. Some of its material had been developing since 2003, with the project going through years of delays before finally appearing in 2011. That long gestation period gives Hell Yeah! an unusual place in the band's discography: it is simultaneously a product of a reunited band and a document of musicians who had carried their musical identity through more than two decades of change.

Hell Yeah! therefore works best when approached for what it is: a straightforward Black N’ Blue record made for listeners who still appreciate the sound, attitude and melodic hard rock spirit of the '80s. It is not trying to rewrite the band's history. It simply picks up where that history was interrupted and brings the Black N’ Blue attitude back to the front.

After a last studio album in 1988, that alone makes Hell Yeah! a noteworthy comeback — and for fans of classic American hard rock, there is plenty here to turn the volume up for.

Essential tracks: “Monkey”, “Target”, “Hail Hail”, “C’mon”, “So Long”, “Hell Yeah!”

Chris  Kappas