Album Reviews

  • HIGHLANDS MAGAZINE

    The Mugshots are a quintet now living in Italy but actually born in New York back in 2001. It's the singer, Mickey E.Vil, who found the name from an Alice Cooper's title, an artist he's fond of - despite these italians deal more with Melodic Hard Rock. They have released two albums so far, along with a bunch of EP's. In 2012 they teamed up with Dick Wagner, guitar player and producer.
    The cover recalls the deep interest of the band for horror movies: it portraits Suzi Lorraine, a queen of the genre, posing lascivioulsy. Be also aware that the album's music is part of the soundtrack of Vince D'Amato's latest movie "Reversed", a canadian production.
     
    The atmospheres created throughout this EP suggest an interesting career to come, they keep curiosity awake. A special mention for the singer's talent, whose voice is confident and solid, a little bit close to the kind of Bahaus's Peter Murphy. The compositions are embellished by a piano, often melancholic, sustained by sinuous electric guitar parts often aware of the riff's meaning, it's energic and the choirs are definitely beautiful.
     
    "Nothing At All" and "Under My Skin" are more axe-guitar oriented - always led divinely by the singer - the arrangements sound gothic, we hear a real work, real energy, yet "Curse The Moon" brings us to the highlight of the gracious melancholia of the piano, still the guitars are well present - the whole thing really convincing and above all original. Then comes the best one, "Free (As I Am)", released as a single supported by Dick Wagner's guitars - the old veteran really adds some salt with riffs which smell like the Seventies - plus a Hammond organ humming in the corner.
     
    This "meeting" is quite incredible and works perfectly, there is a sulforous smell of Lou Reed's live stuff, the guitar shows itself in a decisely imperial manner as Dick Wagner brings our young wolves on the scene. Dick was in Frost when they had a hit with "R&R Music", he was with Alice Cooper and played on the amazing "Berlin" by Lou Reed plus the two live albums, alogn with Steve Hunter.
     
    This excellent EP ends with a ballad where the voice is sailing with happiness, with Dick still present. An album which would not let us expect that we would have witnessed a sacred revelation.
     
     

  • GONZO MAGAZINE

    The Mugshots are an Italian rock group who state that their influences are primarily Alice Cooper, along with The Stranglers and The Misfits. The quintet from Brescia have already released two albums and several EPs, which is presumably one of the reasons why they were to attract Dick Wagner to be involved as producer. He has certainly assisted with getting a very authentic Alice feel to the band, although this is the side of Alice that is all about controlled melody and hooks as opposed to bombast. What many people still fail to appreciate with Alice Cooper is that over the years the band/singer have produced some stunning albums full of incredible songs. I have never seen Alice in concert, but I have plenty of his albums as I enjoy the music so much. It is this element that Dick has really brought to the fore, with the drums and guitar sound on “Curse The Moon” in particular sounding as if it is straight from ‘Billion Dollar Babies’.
     
    But, these guys are doing much more than just a straight Alice copy and are bringing in elements that are much more progressive in certain aspects, with the result being a controlled melodic rock EP with plenty of piano and twists that is sure to interest a lot of people. It may not fit in with the style of music normally released by this label, but is a damn fine piece of work and I look forward with interest to see if the relationship with Dick will continue.
     
     

  • METALHEAD

    E’ un lavoro controverso questo “Love, Lust and Revenge”. La band ha un nome che mi fa pensare a cose goth-punk, nonostante abbia alle spalle già un discreta attività discografica fatta di due album e due EP. “Love, Lust and Revenge” possiede si qualcosa di decadente in alcune melodie, ma le sonorità sono nettamente sul rock anni ’70, tra la sua variante progressive e un cantante che potenzia questo effetto perché ricorda Peter Gabriel e quindi il tutto fa un po’ Genesis. C’è anche un lato vagamente hard rock, ma nella sua versione romantica, tipo Uriah Heep. Cosa gradevole, gli amanti ne apprezzeranno, ma è pur vero che tutto quanto ha qualcosa di nettamente derivativo. Sonorità pulite e retrò, songwriting che si rifà a modelli andati, ed ecco che i The Mugshots dichiarano questa appartenenza all’old style, ma facendolo con poche idee proprie. Ad esempio “Free (As I Am)” potrebbe sembrare uno scarto dei Free, i Genesis saltano fuori in “Under My Skin”. Queste cinque canzoni che formano l’EP sono gradevoli, senza dubbio, ma non rivelano una personalità netta per i The Mugshots italiana. Riconosco che Dick Wagner (chitarrista e collaboratore per Lou Reed, Alice Cooper e molti altri) ha svolto un lavoro eccellente nella produzione, ma è anche l’unico a rivelare un tocco particolare con la sua chitarra solista prestatasi alla band. Proprio lui che della band non ne fa parte.
     
     

  • THIS IS ROCK

    What happens when you stick together some italian musicians with a key-guitar player of the Seventies such as Dick Wagner? Maybe that they sign an EP on which Alice Cooper and Lou Reed's right hand is emerging with great solos above a Melodic Rock context.
     
    Even though the band is asserting to be influenced by Progressive Rock, what you copiously get here is great choruses, with vocal arrangements that even remind of Gospel (or Pink Floyd) and synths, more atmospheric rather than soloist.
     
    Pleasant, obsessive, even desperate, the four original tunes can be enjoyed in a breath and their version of a Cooper song looks like a John Lennon ballad.
     
     

  • NORWAY ROCK MAGAZINE

    The songs from this minialbum can be found on "Reversed" directed by canadian Vince D'Amato, but even more interesting is the fact that The Mugshots here worked with guitar player and arranger Dick Wagner, known for his theatrical work with Alice Cooper. And you can hear it in every pore of this material.
     
    Wagner's sense for macabre drama and symphonic strong and lound crescendos unite forces with The Mugshots' dark, melodic Rock in an appealing way. Unfortunately, the newer songs are far better composed and arranged than the classic "Under My Skin" and "Pass The Gun Around" - the latter coming from possibly the less known Alice Cooper's recording - at least the famous Cooper/Wagner duo is here pleasantly represented.
     
    A collaboration I wish could be resumed.
     
     

  • PROGRESSIVE AREA

    THE MUGSHOTS is an Italian group, formed in 2001 in New York by Mickey E-VIL, strongly inspired by the work of the old Alice Cooper. Yet, it it only in 2005 that the first LP sees the light of day ( 'House Of The Weirdos' ),followed by 'Weird Theater' (2007), and then by two EP: 'Doctor Is Out' in 2009 (sic!) and 'In Disguise"', edited in limited... release in 2010. The concept of these different albums is based on stories of crime, the look is close to that of horror movies: just take a small tour on their site to be persuaded.
     
    The release of 'Lost, Lust And Revenge', new EP of 5 titles lasting less than 28 min, does not derogate from the rule: the packaging, very successful in sticking in the mind, reveales a pouch representing the newspaper headline about a crime scene ... they are not called MUGSHOTS by chance (the mug shots being the photos of identity used by the police, or the people photographed holding a signboard with a number ... if you know what I mean). Musically, the group has engaged the services of Dick WAGNER, the shows producer of 'prima donnas' such as Lou Reed, KISS, Peter Gabriel, Aerosmith or Alice Cooper, who beyond the work of arrangements on 'Lost, Lust And Revenge', is going to hold the lead guitar. The result is unstoppable: brilliant production, perfect sound quality showing a balanced recording, clean - in short, very 'professional' - throughout this mini album the first notes of 'Nothing At All', tell us that we are leaving for a new and exciting journey into the world of progressive: a sweet piano introduction, a few notes of lunar guitar, a voice that is strangely reminiscent of that of Simone ROSSETTI (therefore, by ricochet to Peter Gabriel - even if the stamp is closest to that of the transalpine singer). In short, all the ingredients are gathered together to propose to the listener an exercise worthy of those of their fellow Italians of THE WATCH.
     
    This is confirmed by the excellent 'Under My Skin' and its first notes in the legacy of 'The Bogus man' of ROXY MUSIC - back then at the top of their art, with the live album 'Viva! Roxy Music'. But nevertheless a title more in the legacy of Phil Collins's Genesis, enclosed in a structure 'verse-chorus' - necessarily less prog - but damn efficient! 'Curse The Moon' comes as a breathing quiet - too quiet for a mini album? - It passes through a 'romantic' guitar letting us even think about a Gary Moore of quiet moments ... in short, a little 'marshmallow' to my taste ... On the other hand, we leave the world of progressive with 'Free As I am', despite a guitar intro which reminds that of Mike Rutherford on 'We Can't Dance'. But after two minutes, it switches into a rock very close to Lou Reed, then carrying obvious influences by T-Rex, and to a lesser degree, we can recognize a few plans used by their friends, THE STRANGLERS. The final is dazzling and worthy of a JOE COCKER singing at Woodstock. Very psychedelic '69 choirs give this title a diversity which in fact bring it to be the more successful tune of this mini-album. We don't leave the early 70's with the last title 'Pass The Gun Around', thanks to the intonations of a David Bowie between 'Space Oddity' and 'Ziggy Stardust'. The David GILMOUR's guitaristque take-off gradually bring us back to a more recent period.
     
    All in all, a very good surprise, which will delight fans of a music which derives from the Seventies, whether being the progressive side with the GENESIS of Peter Gabriel, or other more rock sources - with a modern touch given by the ultra-efficient production of a Dick WAGNER. And knowing the ridiculous price you see on some sites, it would be a shame to pass this EP by, considering its many influences.
     
     

  • ALL AROUND METAL

    Nuovo EP per i nostrani The Mugshots, definiti come una "dark rock band" e caratterizzati da liriche che hanno come tema principale gli omicidi. Il disco si apre con Nothing At All, una ballad che richiama le sonorità anni '70, sonorità che sono presenti anche nella successiva Under My Skin. A spezzare questa monotonia arriva la tetra Curse The Moon, sicuramente uno dei pezzi più interessanti di questo lavoro. Free (As I Am) vede la collaborazione di Dick Wagner che si cimenta in un piacevole duetto vocale con Mickey Evil, per il resto è un brano piuttosto scontato. Chiude il disco Pass The Gun Around dotata di un refrain magico e di un ottimo assolo, forse il picco più alto raggiunto dalla tracklist. 

    Per concludere, questo non è un EP particolarmente brillante che però riesce a "salvarsi" grazie a due brani di gran classe (Curse The Moon e soprattutto Pass The Gun Around). Se amate questa band o questo tipo di musica è comunque un disco che potete considerare.
     
     

  • FABRICATIONS HQ

    Another European act that caught FabricationsHQ’s ear in 2013 was Italian band The Mugshots.
    On their Love, Lust and Revenge five track EP the band honed a very deliberate and distinct sound with an Alice Cooper ...Band feel and appeal – and we’re talking early era band and material; dark, sinister, theatrical but with plenty of musical interest and some simple but effective piano underpinning three of the five songs.
     
    Dick Wagner (Lou Reed, Alice Cooper) played on, arranged and produced the songs; in providing the latter service The Mugshots earned the distinction of becoming the first European band to be produced by the legendary American guitarist.
     
    ’Curse the Moon’ may well be the highlight of the four originals while ‘Free (As I Am)’ is a number that wouldn’t be out of place on early Alice Cooper Band albums.
     
    As a final tip of the top hat to Cooper there's a nice cover of the under heard/ hidden gem ‘Pass the Gun Around,’ the excellent Cooper/ Wagner penned number that closes out Cooper's 1983 album, Dada.
     
     

  • VIRUS MAGAZINE

    Interesting band. We talked about the second album by these italians ("Weird Theater") in an old issue back in 2007 and back then the boys were doing, musically speaking, exactly what bands such as The Devil's Blood and Ghost are celebrated for nowadays: melanchonic metal with high-tone singing, inspired by the strenght of Mercyful Fate.
     
    With the present 10-inches EP (red vinyl with an original comic included) the boys, however, have gone farther. Blue Oyster Cult meet The Stranglers would be a spontaneus comparison: dark and atmospheric rock songs accompained by keyboards, easy and beautiful to hear. Rock fans and vinyl collectors should simply listen to this 4-songs disc. We look forward for the next full-lenght album!
     
     

  • GREEK REBELS

    Here is a nice surprise. The truth is that we do not know much about The Mugshots, apart from the fact that they are Americans with Italian origins and that the EP sees the participation of legendary Dick Wagner (Lou Reed, Kiss, Peter Gabriel, Aerosmith) on piano and lead guitars. This is why the compositions of Mickey E. Vil sound so old fashioned. "Love, Lust & Revenge" mainly consists of 70's Progressive Rock nature tracks with psychedelic brushstrokes. Something like a combination between Alice Cooper' gold days and Marillion second phase, let's say. Peculiar is for instance the beginning, with "Nothing at all". In this 5-track EP is dominating a semi-ballad climate with the keys playing the main character. Good ideas are "Curse The Moon" and "Free (As I Am) ", which come blending with the very good voice of Mickey probably playing a more supportive role because of the music primacy. Let's deepen the Mugshots' knowledge, a band which on the first meeting did not disappoint us.
     
     

  • PROGRESSIVE ROCK BR

    What initially surprised me was that, in spite of being a Horror-Rock outfit with Punk-Rock affinities, The Mugshots produces music that is melodic, catchy, and with elaborated arrangements. The opening song, “Nothing At All” (6:13), has cl...assical pianos, expressive vocals, melodic guitars and progressive bass, and recalls much more a song of “Marillion” with “Fish” then what would be expected from a regular Horror-Punk or Alternative Rock band. The following song, “Under My Skin” (5:02), is driven by a pulsing rock beat on bass and drums, and vocals with a tone that recalls “Alice Cooper” or “The Misfits”. “Curse The Moon” (5:34) is also introduced by poignant pianos, low-toned bass, and brings more drama and heaviness on guitars – overall, it is story-telling, more like the infamous ballads of “Alice Cooper” and “Ozzy Osbourne”. “Free (As I Am)” (5:31) has a swinging guitar riff accompanied by discrete gothic organs – and a vocal tune that also reminds me of “Lou Reed”, with a rhythm n’ blues choir. The simplicity of the arrangements may be appealing for listeners that like something more popish and danceable. The EP ends with a cover of “Pass The Gun Around” (5:18) (by “Alice Cooper” & “Dick Wagner”), which makes justice to the original song, being however adorned with soft harmony vocals and soaring progressive guitars. Not a Progressive act for the most orthodox standards, The Mugshots, with the supportive help of their godfather Dick Wagner, has created a pleasant, melodic, and well-produced record, which may find an audience among fans of “Alice Cooper”, “The Misfits”, and even “Marillion”, “David Bowie”, “Queen”, and “Lou Reed”.
     
     

  • FLASH FORWARD MAGAZINE

    Terzo lavoro per la band bresciana, prodotto da Dick Wagner (Alice Cooper, Lou Reed) ma assoluta novità per il sottoscritto. A dispetto del look da tenebrosi ragazzacci di strada, i ragazzi costruiscono un sound assai composito,ma personalissimo nel suo divenire proprio perché le molteplici influenze palesate, sono sapientemente dosate e amalgamate grazie anche all’innegabile bravura esecutiva.

    L’iniziale “Nothing At All” pur permeata da un soffice flavour prog a là Genesis,le vocals di Mickey E.Vil e il bellissimo inciso di piano di  Erik Stayn ne sono testimonianza, si fregia di input trasversali che chiamano in causa sia  le impennate new wave degli ormai dimenticati Stranglers, che il rock teatrale e sornione di David Bowie nume tutelare pure nella seguente e più sanguigna  “Under My Skin”, pregna comunque delle drammatiche atmosfere dell’Alice Cooper di “Killer” e “Love It to Death”. Ancora un malinconico piano sorregge e guida un solo guitar da brividi che prelude e caratterizza la struggente “Curse The Moon” dark rock ballad che assomma in sé tutto lo scibile musicale del gruppo. Davvero un grande brano che prelude all’irrompere dello psicotico hard rock di “Free” con lo stesso Wagner alle vocals. La conclusiva “Pass The Gun Around” è una rock ballad composta dal duo Wagner/Cooper, che il gruppo comunque rende propria grazie al retrogusto prog che la pervade.Insomma,davvero difficile rendere a parole questi 30 minuti di musica e proprio per questo, pur non gridando al miracolo, ne consiglio all’ascolto.  

  • SPLATTER

    Gli horror rockers bresciani The Mugshots, dopo diverse uscite, sono ormai una garanzia per chi ama certe sonorità che attingono da mostri sacri quali Alice Cooper, Joy Division, Marillion e Misfits.

    Questo Ep di cinque brani, dove svetta la strepitosa ballad Nothing At All (che meriterebbe una visibilità mondiale) farà la gioia di tutti quelli che cercano nella musica il feeling autentico più che l'irruenza o la velocità.

    Loro lo definiscono Elitarian Undead Rock e se li seguirete dal vivo capirete cosa significa.

    Consigliati!

  • RAW AND WILD

    Da dove saltano fuori questi? E dire che la copertina in stile Thick As Brick poco m’attirava. E dire che la foto dei cinque virgulti ammaccati all’interno di una macchina, m’aveva fatto pensare a Una Notte Da Leoni! E invece, eccomi tra le mani un cd eccezionale, tanto bello quanto semplice. Ma di quel semplice, che poi tanto semplice non è! Quelle che all’apparenza hanno sembianze di innocue canzoncine, si rivelano qualcosa di più. Durante l’ascolto mi sono trovato a snocciolare il rosario delle influenze: toh, qua sento i GenesisbarraMarillion, qui Alice Cooper (beh, il monicker scelto parla chiaro). No anzi sono rock and roll, non è forse Elvis questo? Sì, sì, sì. Perché i Mugshots sono tutti questo, e lo sono in modo omogeneo. Non zompetti da un brano all’altro sentendoti sballottato tra le influenze, c’è una sorta di coerenza tra le singole canzoni che rende tutto credibile e appetibile. E’ come se la band masticasse 60 anni di rock and roll, per poi passarci un bolo facile facile da digerire. A dare una mano alla band ha pensato Dick Wagner (già chitarrista di chitarrista di Lou Reed e Alice Cooper e collaboratore di Peter Gabriel, Ray Manzarek, Kiss, Aerosmith, Meat Loaf), che non solo si è seduto dietro la consolle per produrre il disco, ma ha anche arrangiato e suonato i cinque brani presenti su questo Ep. Ma Dick non è l’unico padrino dei nostri connazionali, infatti nel booklet appaiono anche le referenze firmate da Clive Jones (Black Widow), Matt Malley (Counting Crows). Un album dal respiro internazionale, che conferma la regoletta che nessono è profeta in patria (il combo ha maturato una certa esperienza negli USA). Spero che questo Ep possa scardinare anche le porte del mercato nazionale a questi ragazzi, che si sono dimostrati una delle realtà più fresche, interessanti e divertenti dell’asfittica scena italiana.
    Voto: 8/10
     
     

  • ROCK GARAGE

    I The Mugshots sono una formazione dalla doppia origine. Nati in America e popolata da musicisti d’oltreoceano (contribuisce al sound della band anche di Dick Wagner, noto producer) sono stati fondamentalmente adottati da noi italiani. La stessa etichetta che ha prodotto l’ultimo loro capitolo discografico è l’italianissima Alka Record Label, ma la proposta dei nostri è tutt’altro che tipicamente italiana. Non aspettatevi rock diretto, così come l’artwork fa immaginare: già l’opener Nothing At All spiazza completamente, le sue tastiere ricordano certo progressive rock settantiano che poi sfocia in un art-rock più maturo (Marillion?!) lasciando un alone di inconsistenza ad un orecchio superficiale. Dimenticate riff e puro arrivismo: sono le ambientazioni e le melodie di tastiere che reggono il gioco. Sulla base di questa matrice si costruiscono armonie nostalgiche e stilosi passaggi romantici che saccheggiano molti degli insegnamenti della scena psichedelica del passato e ne conferiscono un animo quasi da musical (un pò forte come concetto data la lunghezza esigua dell’album che non raggiunge i 30 minuti, ma rende bene l’idea). Tracce tutt’altro che dirette né brevi (nessuna sotto i cinque minuti), segno di una certa ricercatezza stilistica che però non introduce vere e proprie innovazioni musicali ma rivisita un certo concept di rock di un’altra epoca aggraziandolo con una produzione di un certo livello.
     
    Con Free (As I Am) la chitarra prende il sopravvento ma manca (per scelta) quella dose di groove (o di puro prog) che trascinerebbe l’intero brano e smuoverebbe gli animi; a metà corsa il sound diventa davvero troppo morbido e sfuma l’occasione di dare passione al brano, di esplodere in una verve che solo l’irriducibile rock è in grado di produrre. Con Pass The Gun Around la musica nel suo concetto trasversale conquista la scena, completamente influenzata dalle innumerevoli lezioni di David Bowie. Buona musica da colonna sonora o da sfondo per un musical. Niente di più.
     
     

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