Review Summary: Who would've guessed that Warrant still had a decent album in them?
Five years passed since the last Warrant studio album – 2001’s
Under the Influence – before a new one was released. In that timeframe, Jani Lane, the face (voice) and the main mastermind of the band, quit for good (well, almost for good). By way of compensation, former lead guitarist Joey Allen and drummer Steven Sweet decided to return, so after these shake-ups, Warrant ended up in its original line-up minus the singer. Since it is difficult to maintain any kind of activity in such situations, they decided to invite Jamie St. James, a brother-in-arms from another similar band,
Black N’ Blue. One would think this is where they need to wind down, quietly continue touring, and live off their earlier successes of varying dubiousness. As if! Instead, the rejuvenated Warrant marched into the studio and in 2006 released a new album –
Born Again.
Right from the very beginning, the title of the new album doesn’t offer much hope: in its lack of originality and level of wear, it is very close to another exhausted trope – giving the album the same title as the band’s name, as if hinting at a new page in their history. The cover art is also derivative, with its devil in an Elvis-type suit holding a bottle of liquor. On the outside, it is all done in such a way that a potential listener who is even remotely familiar with the Warrant’s previous releases would not feel much interest in
Born Again. Whether this opinion would be correct is a different matter altogether.
Ultimately, the lack of originality is the single moment, which can be raised as a significant complaint against the album. Of course, it can be stated Warrant never displayed much originality from the days of their debut LP, following in the paths laid out before them by other bands and artists. But it would also be correct to mention that in the days of Jani Lane, the band undertook attempts to add something new and fresh to their sound, be it in narratives, music, or arrangements. After listening to
Born Again, it becomes clear that any ambitions of this kind were intentionally or unconsciously thrown out of a window.
And what can they offer instead, if anything? Lyrically, the songs became unsophisticated and sometimes even nonsensical. Once again, there are topics typical for the 80s rock, such as love (
Love Strikes Like Lightning), sex (
Roller Coaster), alcohol (
Devil’s Juice) and wild, fast life (
Bourbon County Line), though it should be noted there is no explicit vulgarity and double-entendres on the album. In terms of composition, nothing stands out either; all songs follow the same ‘verse-chorus-solo-chorus’ approach. However, the sound is clearly influenced by the 70s hard rock, with glam elements dialed down significantly. This is actually noticeable in the absence of power ballads – the standard staple for the genre. It seems
Glimmer would be the only song close to this.
So does this all mean that we received yet another forgettable and passable album for a solid, middle-of-the-road band whose discography is full of such records? Indeed, it does seem like it. However, there is still one more thing that hasn’t been mentioned yet, which permeates the whole album – the band’s performances. It is hard to say what happened to the musicians in that time, but they do feel like they were born again. The recently returned Joey Allen actually sounds quite interesting, producing one energetic riff after another and delivering good solos. The new vocalist also gives his all, bringing the necessary enthusiasm to every track and going toe-to-toe with the regenerated Allen. The rhythm section can also be complimented for supporting the lead guitarist and the new vocalist, though they do not do much beyond that. The whole band sounds upbeat and energetic to the best of their abilities – and this jolt does command respect (and helps overcome the abovementioned lack of originality). The mix also provides a positive impression: the sound is clean and crisp, with every instrument clearly audible, avoiding a muddled mess.
And what is there in the end? The recharged and rejuvenated band released a solid album filled with unadulterated classic hard rock. It can even be said that they sound more like 70s bands, bringing to mind associations with
AC/DC. It would also be true to state that
Born Again ended up as one of the better albums in Warrant discography. Although whether this should be considered a major accomplishment is up to those who decide to listen to this record.
