 MAN
RAZE
Surreal
VH1 Classic Records 2008
www.manraze.com
Read the Phil Collen interview
Genre
Hard rock / pop-rock
The Good
If you are not familiar with just who Man Raze is, it's Phil Collen of Def
Leppard (guitar/vox), Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols (drums), and Simon Laffy
of Girl (bass). "This Is" comes at you at break-neck speed. The
rhythm is oh so Sex Pistol-like and the melodic vocals are definitely Def
Leppard-ish
in delivery. Driving guitar riffage and pounding drums lead the change
on the commanding track "Turn It Up." The band takes an interesting
turn on the reggae-style track "Runnin' Me Up." Even though the
song sounds a little out of place with the ones before it, it it done quite
well. The
band takes a dark turn on "Spinning Out." The harmonies remain
strong and the vocals inflect a hint of ZZ Top. "Skin Crawl" delivers
a hook laden chorus with its 70s British rock sound. "Halo" could
easily been on the latest Def Leppard release, as it mixes a little bit
of rock with a bit
of power pop.
The Bad
Nothing
The Verdict
Side-projects are always a bit of a gamble. People really expect another
version of the band you're normally in. However, the point of a side-project
is to do your own thing. That's exactly what Phil Collen manages to do
with Man Raze. However, despite branching out into the punk, reggae, and
the classic rock field on Surreal, Collen manages to capture some of the
magic from his tenure with Def Leppard. The same goes for Cook and his
drum work.
I honestly thought Laffy was singing until I read the liner notes. I must
say Collen's vocals are quite impressive and no doubt (with his guitar
playing) played a part in Def Leppard success. If things don't work out
with his day job (as if), Collen and his Man Raze cohorts have enough
talent and inspiration to make it just as big.
Rating:  out
of 5
Related Reviews:
Def Leppard - Songs From the Sparkle Lounge
Def Leppard - Yeah!
Def Leppard - Rock of Ages:
The Definitive Collection
--George Dionne
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