Buzzes with an energy that makes them worthy modern homages to those glory days of the eighties.

This is more like it. Too many bands these days release material that's a pale imitation of offerings by acts that they aspire to emulate. My suggestion? Either do something original or, if you're going to imitate, do it with a bit of panache and a lot of passion; you might not completely fool us but at least we'll be having fun. Niterain – who certainly owe a mighty debt to Mötley Crüe and Guns 'N' Roses – fall into the "enthusiastically-influenced" category so if you're looking for re-inventors of the Rock 'n' Roll wheel, look elsewhere, but for those seeking a fresh dose of semi-familiarity, 'Vendetta' hits the target nicely.

Opener 'Lost And Wasted' has a chunk of DNA from the Crüe's 'Wild Side' under its black-painted fingernails, while 'Come Out' menaces in a bludgeoning manner that's reminiscent of Shotgun Messiah at their Industrialised peak. 'The Threat' is perhaps a little too Punky-sounding for these ears and 'Rock 'N' Roll' is undone by a title that belongs in Rock's Room 101. However, the driving 'Romeo' makes amends thanks to a strong melody and powerful gang vocals.

Frank Karlsen's badass bass line fronts 'Somethin' Ain't Right', a strutting mid-tempo number that showcases the clean vocals of Sebastian Tvedtnæs and the Slash-like soloing skills of Adrian Persen Steihaug. The unusual and somewhat incongruous 'Don't Fade Away' sounds like the work of an eighties' US New Wave act. 'Electric' returns to familiar territory for Niterain, as does the title track which closes the album with the pedal pushed firmly to the metal.

This Norwegian quartet deliver a similar, unexpected surprise to the one that neighbouring Swedes Pretty Wild did two years ago with their eponymously-titled album; that record broke no new ground – nor does 'Vendetta' – yet both buzz with an energy that makes them worthy modern homages to those glory days of the eighties.

Caesar Barton