‘I’m talking about rock n’ roll!’
They’ve done it again! Are you ready for another big helping of Scandinavian rock goodness to get your teeth into? Then let me introduce you to Naked...
Naked is a Swedish melodic hard rock band taking its influence from the sleaze rock giants of the 70’s and 80’s. Made up of vocalist Petri Vehvilainen, lead guitarist Daniel Nellange, rhythm guitarist Mats Stattin, bass guitarist Anders Nyberg and drummer Anton Klaesen, the band say that their name sums up perfectly what they do - that is, pure, naked rock n’ roll.
The band’s mission is to “...bring the women to hard rock again”. I guess that’s as good a mission statement as any! ‘Get Naked’, which started as a studio project, was released back in 2007 and is the band’s debut album.
The first thing that struck me about this band was the uncanny resemblance between the vocals of frontman Petri Vehvilainen and Iron Maiden legend Bruce Dickinson.
True to the genre, ‘Get Naked’ is packed with kick-ass powerful rock anthems; air guitars at the ready! However, what I like about this album is that there is also a good sprinkling of big, love ballads (presumably to attract those women!) which show a softer side to the hard rockers. Track 5, ‘Until Death Do Us Part’ particularly stands out, whilst tenth track ‘Why Can’t You See’ shows off Vehvilainen’s impressive vocal strength.
Track 7, ‘If You’re Ready’ is probably my favourite track on the album, not only does it have another of the band’s signature galloping melodies, but it also has an unbelievably cheesy monologue in the middle, paying homage to the controversial 70’s glam rock era - I couldn’t help but laugh! However, album title track ‘Get Naked’ is also a memorable track, listing as many reasons as possible to get naked - I like their style!
What’s left to say about Naked! Take yourself to a surreal place where Iron Maiden, Europe and the irresistible sleaze of Motley Crue mix together perfectly then you will have a fair idea of what to expect from Naked; a fun, surreal album by the sexy Swedes.
Although Naked may not be the best band ever, although they may not be unique, their music is keeping the past alive and that’s a damn good thing in my book. Their music sticks two fingers up at the robotic bands being churned out by the dozen in today’s charts. Long live classic rock!
For further information about Naked, check out their website.