Sunday, November 23, 2008

The Mentors - Up The Dose

Genre: Heavy Metal
Year: 1986

The Mentors are one of the best bands period. They really don't get the praise they deserve. They should be spoken in the same breath as Motorhead. The power of The Mentors is something to never under-estimate.

The music is Traditional Heavy Metal. It is very catchy and has many riffs that will stick with you until the day you die. Most of the tracks have the basic Rock N Roll song structures. There are no weak moments to be found on this album. Sickie Wifebeater has my vote as THE most underrated guitarist in Metal. His guitar playing is really something special. The riffs on this album are very catchy. When he plays a guitar solo, it's something you must hear. He isn't the most technical but his solo's are just magical. Sickie has a really great sense of melody and he never runs out of killer riffs. Dr. Heathen Scum is a very competent bass player and unlike many metal albums, his bass is audible. A very solid bass player. El Duce's drumming is just right and fits the music, perfectly. His rough vocal style is something unique. He is one of the Gods of Metal and he will be missed.

The lyrics are very well written. They are extremely sleazy and are not for P.C. types. Songs such as "Rock'em Sock'em", "Kick It On Down", "Secretary Hump", "Couch Test Casting", and "S.F.C.C." (Suck and Fuck and Cook and Clean) are guaranteed to piss off feminists. If you are looking for some shitty pseudo-intellectual poetry, stay the fuck away from The Mentors. The opening track "Heterosexuals Have The Right To Rock" is still true today due to many of the emo/scene kids that insist on blurring the gender line. This song was originally written to bash the Glam rock bands that were very popular at the time.

If you are a fan of old school Heavy Metal. The Mentors are a must. If you are just getting into this great band, this would be the album to start with. "Up The Dose" is perfection and a masterpiece in Metal that is often overlooked. A true classic!



10+/10