Starbenders – Take Back the Night
Release Date: 22nd September 2023
Label: Sumerian Records
Stream/Order
Genre: Glam Metal, Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Gothic Metal, Gothic Rock.
FFO: The Haunt, Lilith Czar, Palaye Royale, Alice Cooper, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Hands off Gretel, The Relentless.
Review By: Mark Waight
If you were to dream up the ultimate spandex wearing Glam Metal band in your mind, then that band would be Starbenders! Listening to Take Back the Night is like taking a journey back to the days when rock stars looked like rock stars and behaved like rock stars. It makes such a refreshing change to see and hear something so retro yet so cool and unashamedly Rock’n’Roll in these otherwise sterile times we currently live where everyone is simply afraid to do or say anything out of a fear of offending someone.
Take Back the Night is Starbenders third album, following on from 2016s Heavy Petting and 2020s Love Potions. Take Back the Night is a superbly crafted album with a whole bevvy of different themes running through it from start to finish whilst also managing to remain completely faithful to its rock’n’roll roots. Sit back and prepare to be entertained by Starbenders.
Starbenders is Kimi Shelter (vocals), Aaron Lecesne (bass), Kriss Tokaji (guitars) and Emily Moon (drums).
Opening gambit, The Game is pure, unadulterated hard rock gold. You won’t hear a finer opening to an album all year! Kimi Shelters raspy vocals are to die for, and the hooks are HUGE!
Let’s talk about Sex, this industrial, electro-gothic Metal tune sounds bang up to date with an intoxicating riff and catchy sing-along chorus. By this point, your pulse should already be raised and your heart pounding. Body Talk keeps your heart rate high, and kicks off like any true rock song should, with a good old-fashioned lead guitar, drawing you in to a heavy Psych effect and fun inducing track with such irresistible backing vocals that I guarantee are futile to resist joining in with.
A heavy bass riff slows things down with We’re Not OK, a doom-laden tune with a very dark undertone. This is the blacker side of Starbenders, which, complete with some excellent effect pedal guitar work, works superbly to bring down the mood.
Lifting things up once again, Cherry Wine is a beautiful and lighter acoustic track which really highlights Kimi Shelters unique vocal style. Stunning in its simplicity and delivery.
Haunting in its delivery, Seven White Horses is a very dreamy track with echoes of Fleetwood Mac coursing through its veins. Well executed and thoroughly enjoyable!
The End is Near picks up the pace a notch or two with a Psychedelic inspired undercurrent and very tight band performance gifting you something that takes you back to our glorious rock heritage. Keeping those past echoes very much alive Blood Moon is another hard-hitting song from an album that just keeps giving. If this track was a stick of seaside rock, it would have 70s written all the way through it.
If you like 80s Gothic Rock, then you will adore If You Need It, because it perfectly captures the sound of that time period and improves on it with something truly spectacular. Mesmerizing!!
Marianne is a good old-fashioned rock song complete with bells and whistles (or in this case a very neat keyboard backdrop) that exudes style and class; Starbenders are without doubt one of the best bands around!
Covering the Alice Cooper classic Poison is no mean feat, and Starbenders do it so well, that their version is right up there with the original! The pulsating riff of Midnight will pass right through your body, subjecting you to an irresistible urge to move to the groove and maybe even attempt something a bit more vigorous. Great stuff!
Say You Will brings things to a close nicely with a slower pace and emotional edge to round the album off neatly, leaving you baying for more, with the whole band putting their heart and soul into making it a super sensual finale.
Take Back the Night by Starbenders has now taken a place amongst my favourite albums of 2023 so far. Take Back the Night is a wonderful album that just gets better and better each time you hear it. I feel totally vindicated for pre-ordering a copy a few months ago, and highly recommend you all do the same.
Starbenders have breathed new life and vitality back into the Glam Metal genre, and long may it last! So, from myself and all of you out there who long for the good old days of Rock’n’Roll, thank you, guys. You Rock!
(5 / 5)
