Hanoi Rocks recently had a little bit of a resurgence thanks to being name-dropped and included in the soundtrack to Peacemaker on HBOMax, so for those out there like me who got their first real taste of the Finnish punk-inspired band that was lumped in with glam/hair metal, now would be a good time to get acquainted with other projects by frontman Michael Monroe, such as the one-off punk band he formed in 1994 with Hanoi Rocks bassist Sami Yaffa, Demolition 23, who’s LP is finally getting digitally released in October, with the single “Hammersmith Palaise” recently released.
Produced by E Street Band guitarist Little Steven (Steve Van Zandt), the album sought to capture the early punk sounds of bands like The Ramones, The Dead Boys, the Sex Pistols and The Clash, while also distancing Monroe as far as possible from the glam hair metal Hanoi Rocks had become associated with. The single is a gritty, gutter-punk rock anthem paying homage to the classic London punk venue, while lambasting the state of the punk scene in the early nineties.
The track effortlessly captures the vibe of early 70’s punk rock, though the musicianship is a level up above some of those bands (the guitar solo around the bridge proves that), and Monroe brings a keen melodic sense to the song even while his vocals have a guttural weight to them. If you’re a fan of The Stooges or any of the other bands mentioned above, throwback to this jam today now that you can hear it on the streamer of your choice.
The Indy Review 