Artists | Issues | CD Reviews | Interviews | Concert Reviews | DVD/Video Reviews | Book Reviews | Who We Are | Staff | Home
 

Audioscam

Abbattack

Review by Gary Hill

Let’s take a bunch of Abba songs and do them in an almost metal motif. Who in the world would have ever thought of that idea? It’s either insane or genius. Well, I have to say it’s probably a little of both. I mean, there is little music out there more universal than Abba. No matter how you feel about the group there’s no denying the catchiness of their hooks. Somehow it works remarkably well when converted to a more hard rock arrangement. Quirky as this album is, it’s also very cool.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2010  Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
Money Money Money

The hooks on this work great. The cut is a hard rocker with a bit of a raw approach. Yet there is also an AOR rock sound here. It's definitely a high energy, yet accessible, way to start the set.

Rock Me

More pure metal, this one is less unique and unusual than the opener. It’s got a lot more of a retro hard rock groove to it. There’s a cool stoner rock jam in the middle of the piece.

Knowing Me, Knowing You
The main riff on this has a very meaty ‘80’s metal sound to it. I like the cut a lot. Its arrangement feels somewhere between the first two cuts and this one is probably more effective than either of those. 
Dancing Queen
This one works better than its predecessors. It’s amazing how the instantly familiar melody works so well in this near metal arrangement. I suppose the lyrics feel a bit naïve in this musical vein – but weren’t they always? I love how we get a bit of a Hendrix jam just before the final chorus reprise that serves as outro. 
Waterloo
A more stripped down, gritty metal/hard rock approach is the motif here. It’s another good cut, but not really a standout. Still, it’s got some especially tasty guitar work. A lot of this relies heavily on percussion and vocals alone. 
Voulez Vous
This might be the real winner of the set. It has an almost progressive rock or progressive metal feeling to it and it just plain rocks. At about five and a half minutes in length, it’s also the longest piece here. 
S.O.S.
There’s a more straightforward, stripped down, hard rock texture here. I like this track a lot and the hooks seem to work especially well in this format. There’s a tasty guitar solo, too. 
Ring Ring
This comes from the same side of town as the last one. It’s another, though, that reminds me quite a bit of Sweet. It’s good and instantly accessible. The guitar solo makes me think of Thin Lizzy. 
Fernando
If there’s an Abba song I like, this is it. That said, I’m not as impressed with this version. It’s OK, but I definitely prefer the original to this stripped down hard rock take on it. There is a killer guitar solo that takes the track out.
Mamma Mia
A theatrical rock element makes up the main motif here. This one reminds me of Sweet, but it also has a bit of a prog rock feeling to it.
 
Return to the
Audioscam Artist Page
Artists Directory
 
Google

   Creative Commons License
   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

    © 2024 Music Street Journal                                                                           Site design and programming by Studio Fyra, Inc./Beetcafe.com