{"id":4763,"date":"2019-04-07T05:00:08","date_gmt":"2019-04-07T05:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=4763"},"modified":"2019-03-31T21:30:37","modified_gmt":"2019-03-31T21:30:37","slug":"marvel-guilty-pleasures-the-sign-records-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=4763","title":{"rendered":"M\u00e4rvel \u2013 \u2018Guilty Pleasures\u2019 (The Sign Records)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The definition of a guilty pleasure is \u201csomething that one enjoys despite feeling that is not generally held in high regard\u201d. That\u2019s the story of my life right there! And yours too probably if you are reading this.<\/p>\n

Swedish trio M\u00e4rvel know the score. Here, they embrace the odd and the not so odd, with their 8th<\/sup> album \u2018Guilty Pleasures\u2019. A 10 track covers album that pays tribute to their varied influences, some you will know, others you will wish you had known years ago, and all of them you will enjoy. From bizarre Swedish pop acts, to 70\u2019s US radio classics, onto 90\u2019s modern rock, M\u00e4rvel have all bases covered and manage to make everything they tackle sound so fuckin\u2019 cool in the process.<\/p>\n

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Let\u2019s get one thing sorted from the off, M\u00e4rvel sound like The Hellacopters. So much so, I would put money on Nicke Andersson having his leather-heeled boot in the door of this band. The true identities of the band members are a closely guarded secret, but one thing\u2019s for sure, this masked trio comprising of The King (guitar and vocals), The Vicar (drums) and The Burgher (bass) kick serious ass on everything they do. If you haven\u2019t seen or heard their version of WASP\u2019s \u2018Love Machine\u2019 get it on YouTube before you read another word.<\/p>\n

They open this album in style with a Kiss track. But not a well known classic from their 70\u2019s heyday, that would be way too easy. \u2018All For The Glory\u2019 is probably the strongest track from their 2009 album \u2018Sonic Boom\u2019. It\u2019s the perfect cover for M\u00e4rvel, as the original (sung by drummer Eric Singer) actually already hints at that 90\u2019s Scandinavian sound. Here, it is gloriously reinterpreted, complete with killer riffs and bang on Kiss style backing vocals. Sounding bigger, faster and better than the original, its high octane rock \u2018n\u2019 roll the way it should be delivered.<\/p>\n

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Elsewhere, they tackle 70\u2019S AOR with ease. Giving a massive injection of rock \u2018n\u2019 roll cool with incendiary guitars and swagger to the likes of REO Speedwagon\u2019s \u2018Keep Pushin\u2019 and Toto\u2019s \u2018Girl Goodbye\u2019 making them sound 100 times better than the originals.<\/p>\n

\u2018Ten O\u2019clock Postman\u2019 is a definite guilty pleasure. A 1980 Euro hit for Swedish disco\/ synthpoppers Secret Service. Here, M\u00e4rvel takes that poptastic chorus to another level, there\u2019s even cowbell thrown in for good measure. And is it really possible to better Monster Magnet at their own game? M\u00e4rvel pulls out all the stops to bring their own twist to \u2018Powertrip\u2019 and give Dave Wyndorf and co a run for their money.<\/p>\n

\u2018Can\u2019t Shake Loose\u2019, this is an Imperial State Electric tune, right? No, it was a hit single for Agnetha Faltskog (the blonde bird from ABBA) in 1983 and was actually written by Russ Ballard, who of course wrote all sorts of rock \u2018n\u2019 roll awesomeness back in the day. So it\u2019s no surprise this is the most rock \u2018n\u2019 roll song on offer and one of two that I keep playing and playing. The other being a killer version of \u2018Sultans Of Swing\u2019.<\/p>\n

How they manage to make Dire Straits sound like Kiss is unbelievable. The swing has left the building and the overdrive is set to stun on this version. They change the whole feel of the song by changing the rhythm. Listen to that bass boogie, the unmistakeable Frehley-like guitar wail and the \u2018Black Diamond\u2019 styled backing vocals. Make no mistake, everything M\u00e4rvel touches turns to gold.<\/p>\n

They do the King himself justice by taking \u2018Burning Love\u2019 up a notch before finishing with a staple of 70\u2019s US radio fodder in the form of \u2018Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll Hoochie Koo\u2019.<\/p>\n

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M\u00e4rvel go a long way to prove that good songs are everywhere. It\u2019s all in the production and delivery. Forget your prejudice and look below the surface of your own guilty pleasures and you too could compile M\u00e4rvel\u2019s next covers opus. But for now \u2018Guilty Pleasures\u2019 is actually essential listening and a whole lotta fun. Put it on and you won\u2019t be able to turn it up loud enough.<\/p>\n

Buy ‘Guilty Pleasures’ Here<\/a><\/p>\n

Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

Author: Ben Hughes<\/p>\n