Average at its best.
Hell In The Club is an Italian collection of musicians that includes the vocalist from Elvenking and the bass player from Secret Sphere. The guys have moved distinctly away from the Power Metal genre of the other bands to deliver a dirty sound with strong Sleazy overtones.
'Bare Hands' kicks things off well; it's catchy, pacey and pretty simple. The title track follows, delivering some uplifting choruses and good harmonies from the backing vocals. Style-wise we're very much talking Crazy Lixx blended with some of the thundering rhythm section of Hardcore Superstar, especially evident in the heavier 'Whore Paint'. That doesn't stop the band from splashing out on some keys in 'Beware The Candyman' though, injecting some Quireboys-esque fun into the fray..
The second half of the album is much weaker. The songs lack the same distinction as the earlier tracks with choruses seemingly on a loop, especially towards the end, and the listening experience is clouded with too many layers of sound. In 'Toxic Love' I can see the band tearing up a stage with a furious and energetic performance, but on just hearing the track, the vocals strain for the top notes and both this track and 'Save Me' lose their way a bit.
'Muse' is an enjoyable combination of a more pondering tone paired with thick backing vocals and heavy guitars. This track demonstrates where Hell In The Club find a strong, sustainable style but throughout the album they tend to stray from it.
For me, 'Devil...' lacked the diversity of the 2011 album 'Let The Games Begin'. While the debut sounds more amateur in the execution, it was that lack of polish and boyish charm that made the album exciting. Unfortunately 'Devil On My Shoulder' is too much of the same, and, bar one or two tracks, that same is average at its best.
Sophie Brownlee
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