By Stephen Kasenda
LITTLE CAESAR “American Dream” (2012)
'American Dream' is solid proof of LITTLE CAESAR's persistency in not giving up – to keep creating something raw and idealistic just like they did in the early 90s. Two albums that I think are among those underrated gems of the decade are the eponymous debut and 'Influence'. Blame it on the late arrival to the scene and the emerging wave of grunge, LITTLE CAESAR didn't receive the recognition they deserved back in the day.
LITTLE CAESAR puts out a clever mix of blues and 80s hard rock. Some part of this album might remind you of AC/DC or perhaps AEROSMITH. Most songs here are comprised of the classic pattern of Verse/Chorus/Verse, the same old formula that's probably started since the 70s, so whether you've heard of this band before or not, the music draws a very familiar and friendly picture. There are several gems here that I think are among their best. 'Only A Memory Away' is a beautiful ballad, 'Is Your Crazy, Gettin' Lazy?' is a brilliant fast-paced track, and 'Dirty Water' sounds very wild west-ish, full of hooks, and extremely catchy.
Other songs felt okay to these ears. There are a couple of bumpy roads on weaker tunes like 'Prisoner of Love' and 'In My Mirror', but other numbers such as 'American Dream', 'Hard Rock Hell', or 'Own Worst Enemy' are nicely composed and guaranteed to keep your toe tapping. I'm also amazed with the clean and crisp production they have here, considering this is a self-financed project. 'American Dream' is definitely a good album in the vein of classic hard rock - for those who are lookin' for the closest follow up to 'Influence', I bet this one is a smart choice.
Read more of Stephen’s features at MetalMusicArchives.
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