Album Review: The Wicked – Age of Attitude (Self Released)

The idea for the wicked started after a 24-hour drinking session at the Donauinselfest 2016 in Vienna. K, who was sick of playing bass in drop C-tuned metal bands, asked his friends F and R if they were interested in founding a blues rock band and both agreed immediately. Though neither played an instrument, both were passionate about learning one.

The two main goals of The Wicked were writing rock songs with a little bit more groove to them then similar rock songs at the time had, and having fun with their music. At the time it seemed to them, that every major rock band only tackled serious issues with their songs, and no one was having fun anymore with rock music. So they agreed to taking a more light-hearted approach.

The dinosaur-theme came from a costume-hating F, who got rid of his old Halloween-dinosaur mask by hanging it on his drumkit.

Their songs are mostly about life, booze, and everything in between. They like to build in some references for nerds and geeks (“The Hog that rides”; “I was King”), make fun of old rock lyric-clichés (“Pantiesdropper”), and occasionally even have an opinion on serious topics. Though these are always from the standpoint of a Dinosaur, to make them seem more ridiculous. “Doubtful” for example pokes fun at the more bizarre spectrum of conspiracy theories. It tells the tale of a Dinosaur who doesn’t believe in meteors.

The band had their live-debut after roughly a year of jams and rehearsals in October 2018 at the “club wakuum” and in April 2020, due to severe gig-shortage, released their first album online.

If The Wicked’s bio doesn’t make you want to hear just what this rock and roll band has to offer, then it’s likely you’re taking the band’s themes a little too seriously. They certainly aren’t but that doesn’t mean what they produce is a joke. Far from it in fact as The Wicked serve up a big old plate of glorious hard rock with a side of tongue in cheek cheese.

Bringing the riffs and a vocal style reminiscent of Lemmy’s gruff growl, The Opener ‘opens’ Age of Attitude with plenty of energy. The spark well and truly there from the start and only getting stronger with the groove of A Reptile Dysfunction and I Was King. The latter is certainly a grand showcase of The Wicked’s guitar skills.

Age of Attitude just keeps getting better though as Doubtful and Pantiesdropper show the barbed humour within the band. While also delivering strong foot-tapping tunes. The latter is sexy enough that you might find your underwear slightly slipping…

Then we get the riffs of Voices, an electrifying track with punk rock pace, the shady groove of High on the Crime and super-sexy sound of The Hog That Rides. A trio of tracks that really show just how strong in the rock ways The Wicked are.

Although they’re not quite done with us yet, both Human and Exceptional At Being Alive putting the stamp of quality on a wickedly fun rock and roll album.

The Wicked – Age of Attitude Full Track Listing:

1. The Opener
2. A Reptile Dysfunction
3. I Was King
4. Doubtful
5. Pantiesdropper
6. Voices
7. High on the Crime
8. The Hog That Rides
9. Human
10. Exceptional At Being Alive

Links

Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | YouTube