fourthehardway

After their foray into the over polluted land of Grunge with "Dawn",D2 get their shit together
and come out swinging with the mighty "Four The Hard Way".
This is what D2 excel at,Stadium Rock of the highest quality,Huge drums,huge riffs and huge chorus's.
Things kick into motion with "Still Kickin" the 1st of four tracks from the "Cockroach" sessions
that have been re-recorded and spruced up,it's kinda hard to compare this version to the one from "Cockroach"
because i have only heard a multi generation copy of "Cockroach" with poor sound quality,things haven't changed
much from the original version,apart from a much bigger sound to it,it's a perfect way to start the cd and leaves
you in no doubt that D2 are back with a vengeance and that Paul laine is one hell of a singer.
Next up is another "Cockroach" track:"Sick Little Twisted Mind",this has a monster riff that Alice in Chains would
have sold their souls for and a chorus that Def Leppard could only dream about,it's one of my favourite D2 songs
and demands to be played loud.....very loud!!
Once you have recovered from that:you then get a paul Laine penned track in the shape of "Jaded",and what a
track it is aswell,if this album had been released in 1987 then D2 would be household names the world over and it
would have sold millions,there are not many albums out there with three lead of tracks as good as these.
When i first heard "Captain Bring Me Down" it just didnt do it for me,D2 were excellent at writing Power Ballads
and a Power Ballad is kinda what i was expecting on this album,"Captain Bring Me Down" is a ballad,but not a ballad
in the normal D2 mould and it takes a few listens to really sink in,when it does sink in,you soon realise that it is a
beautiful song that has long lasting appeal.
Things then get cranked up to eleven with "Goin All The way",a powerhouse rocker with a chugging riff and another
one of those stadium filler chorus's that D2 are famed for.
Things then take a downturn with "The Girl Aint Built To Sleep Alone",a mid tempo song that just plods along going
nowhere,it's kinda like a bad Bon Jovi song and lets down an otherwise perfect album
No need to worry though!,with "Goin'Goin'Gone* were right back on track,it's another track from "Cockroach"
and sounds a lot better than the origianl,Paul Laine's vocals add a bit of magic to what already was a great track.
We then get the final re-recorded track from the "Cockroach" sessions,"Afraid of Love" was one of the highlights
from "Cockroach" and sounds even better here,if there was ever a band that could be considered the undisputed
kings of the huge chorus,then it has to be D2 and "Afraid of Love" has to be a contender for biggest chorus ever,
yes folks!! it really is that good.
Paul Laine gets another chance to show off his songwriting skills with "Heartbreak Suicide",this is a great driving
song and the best track Paul Laine has written in years.
Things finnish off with "I Dont Need You" a track cut from the same mould as "Goin All The Way".
D2 are back and they mean business,this is a near perfect album and one thats going to be hard to follow.
Coc'ometer Score--9/10