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Famous Underground

I was a huge fan of hair metal in the late 80’s/early 90’s, so it naturally follows that I would quite enjoy a band like Famous Underground with their self-titled debut album. Famous Underground is fronted by Nicholas Walsh, who has been on the music scene for quite some time, formerly with Slik Toxik and then a band called Revolver. Laurie-Anne Green has been playing with Nick for a long time. She’s the bassist and does backing vocals. Currently, the band has Desche Sparboom on drums and guitarists Darren Michael Boyd and Michale Vassos. However, playing guitar on the CD is Rick Corvese instead of Michale Vassos.

Famous Underground opens with a song called Wasteland. It sounds like 80’s hair metal, but with a more modern edge. Personally, I love the sound that results. Nick’s voice sounds like a deeper version of Tom Keefer from Cinderella and this song sounds like a heavier version of them as well. This blended sound is found on quite a few more songs, like "Dead Weight", "Forever and a Day" (both of which are somewhat ballads), and "Mommy is a Junkie." I think "Dead Weight" is my favorite on the CD. It’s a ballad, for the most part, but the chorus has a heavier sound that fits the lyrics perfectly. It’s a bit addictive and you can’t help but to sing along to this eclectic song with the way the tempo changes. It’s a unique song in a good way. There is an acoustic version on the album as well, but I prefer the original.

Not everything on the album sounds the same. Famous Underground has a wide variety of musical styles that they enjoy playing. Songs like "Wheel of Misfortune", "Necropolis", "Bullet Train", and "Hell to Pay" are much faster and heavier, but they each have a different sound. "Necropolis" almost feels punk to me, while "Wheel of Misfortune" has a very Alice in Chains sound to it. "Bullet Train" just has a solid metal feel.

If you ask me what does Famous Underground sound like, I wouldn’t be able to give you a single answer. They have thrown down the gauntlet to challenge anyone to have a wider variety of styles in their repertoire, which gives them a definite edge. I think that it is going to depend on your personal tastes as to which songs you like and which you don’t, but I will bet that you’ll find something on there that appeals to you! I recommend you check out their website. You can watch some of their videos and get a true feeling for Famous Underground.



-Cyn, GameVortex Communications
AKA Sara Earl
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