Warrant Review

I really liked Warrant’s comeback album ‘Born Again’ but this DVD (filmed in Sin A Scope - geddit?) had me a little confused at first cos its sorta like a studio ‘live’ DVD with the band shot onstage without an audience (reminding me of something like ‘Motorhead - live in Toronto’ - not that a live audience would make much of a difference in Canada ha ha). Granted, there are actual live clips (taken from Monsters at the Mountain in Copper Creek) interspersed into the set but I would’ve preferred a true live show instead, cos the material offa ‘Born Again’ is so good its like ‘fuck what it sounds like - go buy the CD if you want sound quality’!! With the set leaving me in two minds given that the band are looking a few pounds heavier with only bassist Jerry Dixon looking like what he used to, the real decider for me were the Delvis video diaries which showcased various high jinx along the road, showing that Warrant despite their years are still guys with a great sense of humour who love to party. But the clincher for me was the making of the ‘Born Again’ CD. I’m not particularly patient when it comes to this sorta studio making-of material (do I really care what guage strings were used?!) but Warrant have done a hella good job with this - I was totally engrossed in it and maybe even learned a thing or two for once - and I ain’t bullshitting you!

Warrant
“Born Again”
(Deadline Records)

Its the mid 80’s, Back To The Future is screening, Ronald Regan is President, and the LA metal scene is in full flow. Warrant are born. And 20 years later they are reborn in the form of the founding core of Jerry Dixon (bass) and Erik Turner (guitar) with Joey Allen (guitar) and drummer Steven Sweet returning to the fold after long term absenses.Gone is Jani Lane but when new vocalist Jaime St James (remember when people had names like this!) screams ‘got the devil inside!’ to the swaggering riffs of ‘Devils Juice’ you know he ain’t foolin’ cos he’s got the spirit of Delvis in him! ‘Born Again’ is a rock n roll monster with kick ass riffs, sassy lyrics and a swanky sound that oozes heaps of balls and attitude in its 12 fireball tracks. But more importantly, it contains the spirit of an era gone by made famous by the likes of Motley Crue, Poison and of course, Gazzari’s! Warrant brought back all those moments and are one of the few bands to have moved me to tears by evoking a flood of memories. Warrant lay it down the way it should be - pure kick ass rock and roll - that will have you going from air guitar playing to fist pounding to arm swaying. 1986? Man, you are there! These guys have lost none of their fire and are content to grab the world by the balls and say “hey, just in case you forgot what true rock n roll should sound like here we are! And y’know what? If a jazzed up De Lorien with a crazy scientist pulled up and offered to take me back 20 years, Warrant sure would’ve tempted me to take that trip.

-Shan Siva