Hinder's Freakshow Tough To Take Your Ears Off Of

Where Oklahoma hard rockers Hinder succeeds the most throughout the new "Welcome To The Freakshow" is in the probing of the lowest depths of their collective creative toolbox. Check out the oily grime behind "Ladies Come First". You're face deep into unapologetic hedonism. If you can't construct the image of a greased down stripper pole upon listening there's something gravely not right with you. Ballistic warfare best describes "Freakshow". Are you nauseated by the parade of reality TV show wannabes who have zero shame but one hundred percent obsession for turning a tidy sum out just by airing dirty laundry most respectable folk would usually keep private? Lead vocalist Austin Winkler understands right down to the last plopping of antacid. He's the epitome of righteous fury. With Joe Garvey's eruptive fretboard theatrics to back him up "Freakshow" levels all peons that stand in its way. Who wouldn't find this creation an inviting train wreck to exercise voyeuristic tendencies around. Not that Hinder ignores the females and highly sensitive males in their fan base who'd like a little introspection served up alongside their crunchy hard rock. Austin should be proud of the candor with which he trots out "I Don't Wanna Believe". The woman in his inner circle makes trying and trying again worth the loss of sweat. To him everything good goes away. Thanks to her he's got reason to take dignity restoring pride in refuting his own conclusions. Still, a large majority of the metal community goes wild when they're promised no lines of decorum left untouched bombast tour-de-forces. Try not to cop a knowing smirk after testing out "See You In Hell". Mark King's rhythm guitar scalds the back of the skull. Mike Rodden's bass guitar circles its prey menacingly. Cody Hanson hammers away on the drums, a hard rocker driven by basic DNA to ramp up the intensity quotient with each measured stroke. Austin claims he's a liar, he drinks, he knows it. However who says Hell might not be a barrel of laughs. Didn't Billy Joel in a long ago ditty say "I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints"? Appears to me Austin's made the confident decision to chuck that misplaced box of Kleenex. So tasty you'll want to assume instant glutton status. Hard rockers don't exactly have the market on subtlety cornered. "Wanna Be Rich" pretty much has America grabbed by the collar, its anything for a fast buck ethos dead to rights. Wake the fuck up indeed. This track sets spines tingling, teeth chattering, innards quaking. In other words malevolent fun to the last drop. Hinder deserves a numerous pats on the back for being fairly market savvy. Get the ballad lovers through the front gate but be sure those who pray to the gods of metal get plenty of sacred texts so they'll keep the words spreading and the pew seats filled to overflowing. "Welcome To The Freakshow" has its outstretched arms pointed right at you. You'd be wise to go where this journey's taking you. You'll be exhausted, but not decimated. In fact your mind/body gas tank might actually be bumped up a shade higher since the lyrical content does plenty of giving back.