Prophets Of Addiction – ‘Face The Music'(Bravewords Records)

Prophets Of Addiction – ‘Face The Music'(Bravewords Records)

Frontman Lesli Sanders put the band together in 2010 after finding sobriety, which he attributes to, “It was time for a change, time to get back to being me, time to make music, Time to make those people who cared proud, time to put a smile back on my face.”  The band released their debut effort, ‘Babylon Boulevard’ via Cargo Records UK the following year. but it’s taken him to the tail end of 2024 to find where he’s really at and deliver the album of his life.

Fast forward to 2024 and Sanders is back in the saddle and has his Prophets Of Addiction ready cocked and loaded. Kicking things off with ‘Flavor of the Danger’ is a more gentle less bombastic opener but the familiar raspy vocals are present and correct and the tone is set for the brand new album. They’re not reinventing the wheel here just rolling with it and drawing on a lifetime’s worth of tales and musical influences – having said that its mainly the 70s glam rockers and the offshoots that are the bass of the music with a darker edge coming to the front on ‘Let’s Get High’.  That darker softer edge continues through the reflective ‘Slipping Away’.

The band turn up the amps on ‘Walk The World’ with a really good production giving the overall big studio feel with the guitars cutting through a strong melody. Halfway through the album, we’re met with a sped up take on the Rod Stewart classic ‘Maggie May’ now there’s nothing wrong with the cover, the playing is on point but I do wonder why? Sure it’s a great song been covered to death but not quite sure it fits in here and besides I’d have preferred to hear another original song but maybe it’s just me here.

Onwards and upwards ‘Superhero’ is up next and a summery rocker with a nod to being a commercial hit the song builds well to the chorus and when it reaches the solo it sort of collides well all around with a top arrangement making for an all-round top tune. The songs keep flowing and the level of quality is high making it the best record Leslie has made thus far in his career. The gritty ‘I Want You To Know’ then followed by the smooth ‘Hollywood’ delving back in time to a laid-back Dogs’D’Amour feel and again maintaining the great songwriting and all-round production values that tap into the groove of the song and complement it really well.

To be fair on repeated plays this record gets stronger as it goes and the last few songs are possibly the strongest on offer sounding like the lyrics are Leslie wearing his heart on his sleeve and coming across as authentic and just in love with rock n roll and that’s always a great place to be. This is a record the band should be proud of stacked with honest rockers n chart toppers Prophets of Addiction might not get to stadium-filling levels but they delivered a really strong album that’s true and honest and well good. Never mind taking me to your leader just take me to the bar where these cats are paying and I’ll have the best damn time rockin out. Check it out!

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Author: Dom Daley

Frankie and the Studs – ‘Life’s a Glitch’ (Deadbeat Records)

Frankie and the Studs – ‘Life’s a Glitch’ (Deadbeat Records)

After many years, the anticipated moment has arrived with Frankie and the Studs finally releasing their full-length debut album. This album has kicked off 2025 with not just a bang but a massive detonation. I had high expectations coming into this one as I have liked the singles the band has released over the years which have showcased a band homing in on their sound. High-powered rock ‘n’ roll infused with helpings of glam and punk is perhaps the best general description I can give, but they also throw in some other cool wrinkles here. It’s not a stretch to think of them sharing a bill with DGeneration and the New York Loose in New York back in the 90’s, even with their California roots.

Storming out of the gate with the previous single ‘Hole in My Head’ works perfectly as the heavy rhythm leaves an immediate impression on the listener. Frankie Clarke’s vocals sit comfortably in the mix here to set up an awesome call-and-response type punk chorus with her bandmates to hammer the hook into your head. The guitar solo simply shreds too. Changing gears with the slightly slower ‘BiMiNi,’ this one has always reminded me a bit of a 90’s era type song a la the New York Loose and it again highlights one of the qualities of the band, they can pull from different eras and make it all work together. ‘Headrush” ups the tempo again with a catchy chorus that burns itself into your head.

‘Flash’ is another early single that is one of my absolute favourites, not just from this album but in general. This is a glorious song that feels like it was dipped in 70’s glam, 77 punk, the streets of NYC, and then sprinkled with extra helpings of what makes this band so special. The contrast between ‘Flash” and next song ‘Here I Lie’ is perfect with the dark and moody latter song providing a great contrast. ‘Monster’ closes the first half of the album with the band utilizing a tempo that sways from slower to faster with another chorus that begs for audience participation.

The flipside kicks off with the band’s new single which should be relatable to anyone who has worked a few different jobs in their life. ‘Fuck this Shit’ is a current audience participation number at their live shows with a high-powered rockabilly beat finding Clarke delivering an attitude-filled lead vocal that is simply perfect. The guitar solo fits the song like a glove and has inspired some air guitar over here. The band keeps the rock coming with ‘Can’t Stand You’ being another punky feeling song with a great hook. The band slow things down with the closest they come to a ballad in ‘Not This Time.’ I prefer to think of it as what the Dogs D’amour once described as ‘soft songs for hard people.’ The band has released some very cool slower songs in the past, but this is my favorite of those. I think it has been sequenced into the album at a great point too.

The band delivers another hook filled moment of gold in ‘Nothing to Do’ whose only crime is that it the chorus highly recalls the song of the same name by the Donnas. The rest of the song doesn’t with the quieter sounds of the verses being my favorite parts of the song. A very strong cover of ‘Venus’ follows which should induce immediate singing along. The rhythm section is again dialed in perfectly giving the song a very strong backbone throughout the song, and the guitar solo makes the most of its space. Closing out the record is another immediately catchy song in ‘Losing You.’ The band make all the hooks across the album look easy. The backing vocals compliment the chorus perfectly here.

For the CD version, two extra songs are provided with the first one ‘Some Kinda Love’ being a bluesy rocker that showcases another element of the band, and I really like the way Clarke uses her vocals here. Straight head rocker ‘She’s Insane’ then closes out the CD version which is another song that should already be very familiar to fans of the band. 

Best album of 2025? Well, so far for me it is of course. I anticipate in 12 months though that this album might still be claiming that title. This one has been on repeat since it arrived and highly recommended. The album was produced by Frankie’s Dad whose work as a producer has really evolved for me. I remember the old Beat Angels albums he produced back in the 90’s and felt they lost a lot of their rawness. This album has a great balance of being raw and polished which is a tricky combination. How much do I like the album? I bought both the record and the CD versions. Time to start rocking again!

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Author: Gerald Stansbury