Audrey Horne - Blackout album review

Named after a character from Twin Peaks, members of Enslaved, Gorgoroth and Deride formed Audrey Horne in 2002, releasing an award-winning debut that featured the sort of hyper-polished, AOR-style hard rock that was cutting edge back when AC/DC still scared people and your dad drank his first beer. While the band’s debut, No Hay Banda, conjured a fresh blend of post-grunge and 90s goth rock, subsequent releases have showcased an unapologetic nostalgia trip back to the powerful Euro-metal riffing of the late 70s and 80s. Tracks like opener This Is War and Light Your Way burst with tasty hooks and hummable, lighter-raising melodies, while sugary fare such as California taps into the mainstream aspirations of early-80s Thin Lizzy. It’s clear that the musicians are enjoying the ever-loving hell out of themselves but you’d be hard-pressed to remember any of these tracks an hour after hearing them.