Marty Casey & Lovehammers

Marty Casey may not have won Rock Star: INXS last year, but the bedraggled singer proved he was a star in his own right. Casey, along with his band Lovehammers, was later offered the opening slot on INXS' current tour. On the Lovehammers' self-titled major label debut (their fifth total, after four independent releases), the boys - guitarist Billy Sawilchik, bassist Dino Kourelis, drummer Bobby Kourelis, and Casey - rock hard and loud. The 11-track collection is raw and real.

Marty Casey & Lovehammers is a pure rock and roll record, a cross between Nickelback and the Rolling Stones. The disc starts of with the moody "Casualty." Casey cuts through the musical cacophony with his buzz saw wail, while Sawilchik slashes at the rhythm section with his jagged guitar riffs. "Hold On" has an emo/punk feel to it. A thundering backbeat and grinding guitars stab at Casey's emotive vocals. One second the Hammers are splitting eardrums, the next they've brought everything down to a near whisper, only to explode again. "The Tunnel" is equal parts classic rock and modern day alternative crunch. Gritty guitars are slathered over a heavy bass and drum arrangement.

The Chicago band knows how to rock, but they also know when to turn the tempo down. The group puts on the breaks for the slow building "Clinic." Casey screams himself hoarse on the glowering cut, a song that deals with addiction. "Never gonna quit it, cause I like the way I'm livin'," the singer growls. "Straight As An Arrow" starts off with a bit of guitar feedback and quickly erupts into a thumping punk-rock track. Fast-fretted guitars and mile-a-minute vocals make the tune a head-banging delight. The acoustic "Clouds" has shades of Coldplay and U2. Casey sounds a lot like Bono on the decelerated number.

"Trees," pegged by Rock Star host Dave Navarro to be a big hit, is one of the highlights of the disc. Navarro is right on the money in his assessment; the radio-friendly cut is a soon-to-be sing-along classic. "Eyes Can't See" fools the listener into believing the Hammers are about to take them on a mellow trip, but the song winds up rocking hard. The track has some of the heaviest guitars this side of Nickelback. "The Riddle," a melodic piece of ear candy, is easily the album's best track. Casey, sounding a bit like Johnny Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls), waxes poetic about life.

Anyone who thinks rock and roll is dead needs to hear Marty Casey & Lovehammers. Finally, a band that understands rock music started way before Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

By Todd Sterling