No band on 21st-century radio has mined pre-grunge hair-metal’s sleaze like L.A.'s Buckcherry. So it makes poetic sense that they’d spend their sixth album tallying all seven deadly sins. It's more surprising that they'd fare so much better with "Sloth" (aptly dirge-like stoner blues) and "Pride" (motormouthed self-loathing) than "Lust," but perhaps that one’s just older news. They do six non-sin songs too, rather incongruously including two classic elements, "Air" and "Water." Even the sensitive parts sound brash. And if not many riffs or choruses grope your hindquarters like their biggest hits did, the recurring Eighties Billy Idol pulse beneath still grinds tawdry enough for strip clubs.

“More Than a Feeling”

Boston mastermind Tom Scholz was as surprised by anyone when he sent his unsolicited demo to record labels and got back a positive response. Scholz said, “I couldn’t believe it. Nobody knew who we were, so I wouldn’t even say we were struggling. It was groveling.” Part of the credit for the interest must go to the anthemic rock number "More Than a Feeling." Inspired by the Left Banke's 1966 hit "Walk Away Renee," Scholz worked on the song for five years in his basement studio before it was released on this album.