The Black Halos: The Violent Years : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

While pantywaists like Buckcherry may claim the loud and crude rock & roll lifestyle, Vancouver's The Black Halos are living it. On their full-length Sub Pop debut, these five scruffy young men rouse the spirits of surly bands like the New York Dolls and Hanoi Rocks, turning out an undignified gutter punk and metal hybrid that is curiously hard to resist. The Violent Years opens with a chaotic chorus of guitars ("Some Things Never Fail") and stays diligently on course throughout, pausing only briefly to offer up the occasional moment of melodic clarity ("Capt. Moody") or seething power ballad ("50 Bourbon Street"). Otherwise, it's non-stop thrills, spills and sinister energy -- and that's the way we like it. (AIDIN VAZIRI)