helterskelter.ca

WARRANT
1990 - Cherry Pie.
1992 - Dog Eat Dog.
way more Helter Skelter.

September 11, 1990 - 2020: 30 years of: Cherry Pie.

Want a slice ?

One of the last jewel on the Sunset Strip hardrock crown. One of the last, last-calls of the decadent-decade. Excesses from the left, excesses from the right, swinging onstage and backstage, the dirty rotten filthy stinkin' about to be rich, hit a Grand Slam with album #2. Still somewhat under the radar, behind the MÖTLEY's, the LEPPARD's and the JOVI's ...luckily these bad boys were still under warranty.

Kickass tracks like "Love In Stereo" and the raging riff-shredder of "Sure Feels Good To Me" will please headbangers and bikers alike, while some will hop aboard the "Train, Train", one of the heaviest track from the band's catalog at that point.

The era of powerballads and lavish gazillion dollar videos and WARRANT shares with us, a juicy piece of the pie. The beautiful piano-driven "I Saw Red" is magic at the end of the rainbow. Some more raw-rock heaviness is found on the strong "Uncle Tom's Cabin". A dark tune that deals with killings and getting rid of the evidence, not your typical WARRANT cut. The Allen + Turner guitar-duo proves with a killer tone, that they are no shmucks.

The title-track that almost wasn't.

Jani Lane's last cut as the record-company wanted another quick track. WARRANT now had a certified hit in hand. Some of the finest pastry in hardrock as "Cherry Pie" is now an immortal-anthem in the global hardrock-catalog. The simplest verse-chord-verse, topped by some of the sleaziest lyrics known to man, made this sugary-cut an unstoppable hip-shaker and bra-thrower in arenas America-wide. Since, the lead-singer went on record numerous time claiming that he hates this particular song ...but since it pays the bills, it still holds a firm place in the live set-list. Extra-point goes out to babelicious model Bobbie Brown, yes that super blonde in the video eventually became Jani's wife. Open up and say ahhh !

Produced by hardrock genius, aka Beau Hill (see also RATT, WINGER, KIX and the master himself Alice Cooper), the boys were in good hands for some high-grade sound. Another fine selection from the Class Of 1990, along other heavy-hitters like POISON's Flesh & Blood and SLAUGTHER's Stick It To Ya ...oh yeah baby, all major Platinum-selling ass-kickerz !

This also marks the end of the WARRANT 1.0 hardrock-era, as subsequent records were to be less party to more heavy with modern overtones. Living the moment with the naughtiest standards, these ultimate poster-boys had their 15minutes cut short in late-1991, by some Seattle-punks.

Not the cheesiest ...but the cherriest !

*
Cherry Pie = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjyZKfdwlng
Uncle Tom's Cabin = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx6f68Wd9dc
I Saw Red = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dh79Ggx9Js
Cherry Pie = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I88Izbmrxq4&list=PLyoJrqPXmSzxG4RyV5WQaznJUYF_bDxU5
Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq1I0IAEJzs
Live on Arsenio Hall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlQp8dQ67eU
Live in 1991
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efLHsN-hw5Q
Some guys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqM6SL4v8Zg

August 21, 1992 - 2022: 30 years of: Dog Eat Dog.

A metalized WARRANT.

With the Seattle tide-change of 1991-92, gone are the spandex and sky-high perms. Yet a familiar name sticks on. A revamped band, right after 1990's power Platinum Cherry Pie CD, the gang adapted and evolved their sound. Welcome again into the rock-arena: a more lethal than ever WARRANT.

The metal-factor hits hard on the opening-cut "Machine Gun". Full of chuga-chuga guitars, could this be the same WARRANT that gave us "Love In Stereo" a couple years ago ? More high-gain is spewed on "The Hole In My Wall" with metal-riffing taking a page from the thrashmetal handbook, while the speed madness "Inside Out" is all DIY rage.

The build-up is steady, right until the pinnacle of modern heavyrock as "April 2031" blast into oblivion. Mid-paced SABBATH-y metal complete with choir, not bad for a hair-band. More killer cuts attacks on cue with "Quicksand" and "Bonfire", while shades of party-rock are present on "Hollywood (So Far, So Good)".

The CD was produced by master Michael Wagener, so you know speakers are gonna fry. Harder edged hardrock or 90s Sunset Strip ...the ball was already rolling with rowdier 1991-92 releases by SAIGON KICK, FIREHOUSE and the Godfathers of KISS.

Even if record-label politics dropped the ball on this metal-monster, the Dog Eat Dog CD is a statement that a glam-band can perform actual heavymetal. Still RIAA-certified Gold, the crew would continue their 2.0 career on independent labels, and still provide 100% ass-kickin' rock starting with 1995's Ultraphobic CD.

RIP Jani Lane (1964-2011)

*
Machine Gun = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUi0cqBBm9c
The Bitter Pill = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INw6tnSkXKM
Dog Eat Dog = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WQNc5f9rLU&list=OLAK5uy_ltS7qNxUtL8f-lEm_02RL0Fr7NNpyldZI
MTV Interview in 1992
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScHBTZHRJGU
Live in Italy in 1992
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BwWrgyFPdY