At its core rock'n'roll's appeal is based as much on its visceral quality as it is the music. Does it make you feel alive? Do you want to get up and move when you hear it? Would it piss off your parents? Naysayer's have been projecting the demise of rock'n'roll for years now, claiming it lost its way and fell out of touch. "There's nothing new under the sun", "it's all been done", you know the claims. Everything is a rip-off of everything else, everything is contrived, yada yada yada. Danger has left the rock'n'roll arena.

I have an announcement. Rock'n'roll is alive and well and its name is the Fucking Hotlights. Like a bat out of hell (excuse the lame reference), High Society Torture Party charges out of the gate in such an aural assault that it demands you take notice. From the opening track ("Revival") when singer John Toohill, screams "let the witchhunt begin" to the pummeling "Hammer of the Goldbeaters" you get the sense that the bands pointed attack is both urgent and caustic. This is take no prisoner's, grit your teeth and hold on for the ride music, with enough sex swing to charge a room full of teenage girls. The sleaze literally drips off the wax.

Describing the band's sound (in objective terms anyway) is difficult mostly because it is its own and comparisons rarely do a band justice. A few bands come to mind nevertheless. The Icarus Line, the Stooges ( purely on the looseness of it all), and even Fugazi with some of the song structures and discordant nature of some of the tunes. In a strange way the album has a similar feel to Every Time I Die's classic Last Night in Town. Last Night in Town was a mess but it was a beautiful mess, made even more special because the lyrical presentation had such vitality. Lyrically and vocally John Toohill is a one of a kind. His words contain swagger but more importantly are driven by conscious and intelligent thought. With lyrics such as "we are the blood in the water, our friends have friends and they have no fathers, or daughters, mentors, manners, limits or law", the songs are elevated to new plains. It's not just the same old re-hash sex, drugs and rock'n'roll story.

It should be noted that this is the band's debut album (they have another release, an EP, but it is in limited quantity). Despite this, the band has already paid their dues, playing dates all across the U.S. and Canada, as well as exciting audiences in Buffalo for the last year or two. Their live shows are really something to see. John writhes around stage, twisting and contorting, seemingly under a spell, while Ryan and Peter hold the pieces together with their tightly locked instrumentation.

It's a skill to be able to ride that fine line between controlled chaos and utter destruction and the Hotlights do so masterfully with this release. Chaos is great, but chaos for the sake of itself is meaningless. Chaos that is pointed at something, with direction and purpose, is potent.

Highly recommended if you like spices on your meals. You can pick up High Society Torture Party on vinyl at both Record Theatre locations and Spiral Scratch, or download the album through the band's bandcamp page. http://www.thefuckinghotlights.bandcamp.com/. You can also get information on the band and find out about their upcoming shows on the bands facebook page or by going to http://www.thefuckinghotlights.com/

Rating: 92