Music

Album of the Week

Album of the Week: Steel Panther

Inside their raucous fifth album, Heavy Metal Rules.

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Los Angeles shock rockers Steel Panther return with their hair-raising fifth record, Heavy Metal Rules, and it showcases all the stuff they’re best at.

A decade since their debut, their profane and humorous lyrics remain plentiful, along with massive choruses, an abundance of stomping guitar riffs and a sprinkle of ’80s piano ballad glamour.

Packed with their usual raucous and juvenile tropes, wild tales of partner infidelity, getting high, copious swears and rowdy party anthems, Heavy Metal Rules is everything we’ve come to expect from the glam-rock-parody band.

Watch Steel Panther play This or That

The exaggerated on-stage antics are still enthralling and the boisterous singles All I Wanna Do Is F*** (Myself Tonight), Always Gonna Be a Ho and Gods of P***y still raise an immature smile or two, but Michael Starr, Satchel, Lexxi Foxx and Stix Zadinia appear to have toned the innuendo down slightly in comparison to their previous four records.

Album opener, Zebraman features a short clip from the 1986 metal documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot. A young metal fan champions ’80s icons Twisted Sister, Judas Priest, Dokken, Ozzy Osbourne and Scorpions while berating punk rock and Madonna.

Steel Panther - Always Gonna Be A Ho - Official Video

All I Wanna Do Is F*** (Myself Tonight) is strangely optimistic, with lyrics about self-love and positive self-image – and there’s a video inspired by the film The Hangover which features cameos from Carrot Top and members of Five Finger Death Punch.

Described as the ultimate party album, title track Heavy Metal Rules is a stand-out and album closer I’m Not Buying What You’re Selling hits the mark as a “heavy metal anthem”.

The hair-metallers continue their ’80s glam-rock nostalgia on the lamenting and slow-paced Always Gonna Be a Ho – with Starr’s silky, lovelorn vocals making it a lesson in acoustic balladry.

Much like their preceding albums, Heavy Metal Rules focuses on d**k, drugs and debauchery, lightened up by their comic delivery and mega guitar riffs which take the heat off some of the more loaded themes.

Steel Panther return to the UK in February 2020 for an academy tour. [Find Tickets]


Tracklisting:

1. Zebraman
2. All I Wanna Do Is Fuck (Myself Tonight)
3. Let’s Get High Tonight
4. Always Gonna Be a Ho
5. I’m Not Your Bitch
6. Fuck Everybody
7. Heavy Metal Rules
8. Sneaky Little Bitch
9. Gods of Pussy
10. I Ain’t Buying What You’re Selling

Listen to Heavy Metal Rules on Spotify: