The Background: Released in 1990, this is the debut album from one of L.A's most underrated bands. This album represents both the band's creative and commercial peak with "Why do you think they call it dope?" being given rotation on MTV's Headbangers Ball. The record sold a little over 200,000 copies internationally and lead singer Jizzy Pearl has continued on in the music industry fronting both the L.A. Guns, Ratt, and various new line ups of Love/Hate
Black out in the Red Room's title and opening track is an incredible statement of intent. It is loud, melodic, and infinitely memorable. It is the sound of band that is tight and filled with all the potential in the world, from Jizzy Pearl's rasping, utterly unique vocals to the perfectly minimalist guitar work and driving rhythm section. The problem is that this moment of clear brilliance, and those others like it on the album, are matched, song for song, by a selection of tracks that simply fail to inspire. That is not to say that Blackout isn't a good album. In fact, when it's good it is almost fantastic, but when it fails to reach those levels of excellence it can quickly become tedious and, at times, monotonous. And it is this that makes Blackout such an infuriating listen. It is the sound of a band on the verge of realizing its potential, of really delivering an incredible listen, but never quite achieving what it set out to do.
Blackout is an album that should be listened to and appreciated for what it is; the unashamed, bombastic debut of a band that had cut its teeth for years on the local scene and was hungry, practically foaming at the mouth, for success. And every inch of this album, for better or for worse, teems with that attitude. The afore mentioned title track sees that desire, that need for success, shaped into 2 minutes and 33 seconds of anthemic rock perfection (or near perfection) that ideally sums up what Love/Hate were about in the early 90s. The band has its own unique and distinctive sound and quality that roars through the speakers, demanding your undivided attention. It is, in short, classic and instantly memorable. But where the album falls down is its seeming inability to craft the band's energy into anything quite so memorable throughout most of the subsequent tracks. Both "Rock Queen" and "Tumbleweed", the next two cuts on the album, fall into this trap and are completely forgettable. In isolation each of these tracks is acceptable, if uninspiring, enough but together, especially in light of the wider album, they become part of a general wave of sound that struggles to rise above the sum of its parts or inspire any particular excitement.
That is not to say that the album doesn't try to rise back to the heights set by its opening track and, though it doesn't ever truly succeed, it has moments where it comes close. "Why do you think they call it dope?" is another magnificent effort that sees the band's raw energy crafted into something special, and it's clear from this cut alone that when the band was able to reach these highs, they really were something special. "Fuel to the Run" dabbles in greatness, as does "Straightjacket" and "She's an Angel" but there is little to excite between these numbers. "She's an Angel" in particular sees the band breaking Blackout's formula and is a welcome change of pace as the album nears its conclusion but there is simply too much filler between standout moments to truly make this a classic album. Blackout is certainly the sound of a band with unlimited potential but that potential is, for the most part, unrealized.
Perhaps one of the best things that can be said about this album is that it has truly aged well. No question. Whilst it may not be a classic album it sounds as if it could have been recorded anytime between its original release and now and that is, undoubtedly, the best thing that can be said about this album. As a classic it fails, but listening to it today it is surprisingly contemporary and fresh.
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