Street Justice - Rules Are For Suckers - CD/Vinyl

After the breakup of Bavaria’s SAVAGE—who released an EP and the DYING VICTIMS debut album Glory Riders, both of which were critically acclaimed—former members Pawel Nemkovic and Axel Warrior sought to further revive the era of mean heavy metal. It will now continue under the banner of STREET JUSTICE, and the first fruit of meanness is the band’s debut album, Rules Are For Suckers.

Much like SAVAGE’s Glory Riders was aptly titled, more so is STREET JUSTICE’s Rules Are For Suckers. While the style and attitude remain the same, the songwriting and composition have evolved significantly, culminating in riffs, leads, and hooks rich in variety and authentically rendered by true maniacs: 1980s Los Angeles is well and truly alive here, and powerfully so. Indeed, much like their predecessor, STREET JUSTICE variously recall the likes of classic W.A.S.P., Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot, and early Van Halen. But compared to SAVAGE, STREET JUSTICE amplify the sleaze in their sound, bringing to mind a heavier L.A. Guns during their late ‘80s prime.

Proving that Rules Are For Suckers, STREET JUSTICE look to an unlikely source for a cover song: Tina Turner’s “One of the Living,” unforgettably from Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, which is given a suitably heavy (and sleazier) uplift here. More than that, this cover choice underlines the wasteland theme running through the album, from both the percolating pulse of the riffing to the wide-open atmosphere across the record’s nine tracks. Imagine L.A. Guns’ “Electric Gypsy” video with Mad Max warlords riding fast and free, and you’re getting close to the experience of STREET JUSTICE.

Heightening that atmosphere—and, especially, the heaviness—is the technical collaboration with TYRAN’s Sergej Dukart. Together, both band and producer reach a new level of clarity and depth on Rules Are For Suckers, bringing a larger-than-life aspect to STREET JUSTICE’s “spacious heaviness.” Imagine a modern analogue to W.A.S.P.’s Inside the Electric Circus: this record is literally HUGE.

Before Marcel Riedel of Surturian joined STREET JUSTICE as their permanent drummer, the drum tracks for Rules Are For Suckers were recorded by Tobias Kasper of Sweeping Death. With this new lineup and the album in tow, STREET JUSTICE will continue to rock the stage and present their music exactly as it should be: MEAN HEAVY METAL!

Tracklist:
1. S.C.R.E.W
2. Lethal Strike
3. One of the Living
4. Call of the Gypsy
5. This is my Boomstick (Pt. I)
6. Tokyo Subway Molester
7. Under my Wheels
8. This Time (but for real)
9. Gutter Cat Love