Back with their second album under the name of ‘Steel Panther’, the L.A quartet divide time between parody of 80’s glam rock and out-and-out tribute.
What could tire quickly as a one-trick gag in the vein of Spinal Tap or those spectacular Australian parody-rockers Bigphallica actually works here because, thankfully, the band possess the musicianship to back it up. These are frenetic, high-energy rock songs with gratuitously over-the-top lyrics that aren’t out to compete with anyone for profundity (to point: “Get on your knees and help me please because it won’t suck itself”).
It’s certainly not for everyone, but there’s a fun ride to be had. If anything, one realizes just how easily Steel Panther would have beaten out a multitude of other successful bands from the 80’s had they arrived on the scene about 25 years ago.