More than a quarter century may have gone by since singer
Michael Monroe's band
Hanoi Rocks passed from existence, but
Monroe continues to carry the flag for their style of hard rock, with his solo album
Sensory Overdrive being another example. That style recalls the garage rock of the mid-'60s, the proto-punk sound of
the New York Dolls, in the early ‘70s, and the post-punk of late-‘70s power pop, also anticipating the hair metal with which
Monroe was associated in the ‘80s. Thus, the tempos are fast, the guitar plays ringing power chords, and the vocals are a penetrating screech, the whole achieving energy and irresistible drive. That description applies to the music on
Sensory Overdrive, which, musically could have been made in 1978, the year referenced in the song "'78," in which
Monroe sings, "You can take the boy out of ‘78/The style's gonna change, but the sentiment ain't." Actually, it's the style that has stayed the same, thanks not only to
Monroe, but also to bassist
Sam Yaffa, another alumnus of
Hanoi Rocks, guitarist
Steve Conte, drummer
Karl Rockfist, and veteran hard rock producer
Jack Douglas. The sentiment expressed in
Monroe's lyrics, meanwhile, has changed, if only to reflect the many years in between then and now.
Monroe is withering on the subject of contemporary life, as the caustic "Modern Day Miracle" attests with its chorus, "Your modern day miracle is giving me a headache." He would rather view the present in terms of his own survival, noting in "All You Need" that "I'm still standing tall" and in "Gone Baby Gone," "I'm back on my feet again." Obviously, he is no stranger to clichés, and the music isn't original, either. But anyone who loves rock & roll that's loud and fast will enjoy
Sensory Overdrive. ~ William Ruhlmann