It's the late '80s, the alternative rock scene has yet to see the grunge explosion that
Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" will soon bring, and radio and MTV airwaves are dominated by hard rock bands like
Living Colour and the
Sammy Hagar-fronted
Van Halen, whose amped guitars and clean vocal harmonies give them an accessible sort of edge. That's the musical flashback you're likely to experience when listening to the debut CD from this Atlanta-based three-piece, whose blend of blues, funk, and metallic guitar crunch should sound vaguely familiar to fans of the aforementioned bands. Frontman Bennard Slaton's soulful voice could pass for
Corey Glover's in a blind taste test, Mark Dixon pounds the living crap outta his drums, and guitarist Eric Sands drops blistering leads on tunes like "Spinning Sky" that echo Eddie Van Halen and
Vernon Reid's influence without aping their styles. It's all effectively infectious, especially on rockin' anthems like "Spread a Little Love," where layered harmonies add extra sweetness to the melodic crunch, but ultimately it sounds more than a little outdated. There's ample genuine talent here, but
Truth of Fiction needs to find a more modern form of musical expression if the band hopes to appeal to 21st century ears. ~ Bret Love