Metal Hammer Magazine

Taken from the print version on Metal Hammer Magazine

Translated from Hungarian

The Prophets of Addiction: Babylon Boulevard 

Once in a while there are albums, which are grabs your neck, holds you and don’t let you go for a long time. You can’t give a precise answer why is that, usually on these albums you don’t hear completely new things that can change the world, simply „just” contains good songs what are touches the listeners. I know it’s strange to start a review like that of a street glam album, because here is supposed to be the part of the „sex, drugs, rock’n’roll” clichés, but the debut album of The Prophets of Addiction is much more beyond the well-known rock’n’roll clichés.
The founder of the band is Lesli Sanders, who can be familiar to the glam fans as the bass player of Pretty Boy Floyd, but he was involved in such bands as the Queeny Blast Pop or City Boys’ Girls (if you don’t know these bands do your homework). Anyone who is expecting a weekend party glam stuff in the vein of PBF might be dissapointed, but if you are looking for an album full of catchy hymns based on powerful street glam/sleaze riffs, don’t hesitate to get in contact with the band. The music is based on the New York Dolls/Hanoi Rocks musical heritage, and add a little bit of Dogs D’Amour/Quireboys influence. Sanders’ voice reminds me of Taime Down (Faster Pussycat) and Tyla, and it gives a very unique, kind of melancholy, bitter-sweet flavours to the songs. Fortunately, the band did not forget about the huge, cool riffs. The opening Hang Me Up starts the album with an irresistible dynamism, the cool punk/glam song contains outstanding guitar solos from Amit LeeRon and Rev(x) James. This dynamism continues in Kick It In and Alter Of Altercation. Self Portrait and Babylon Boulevard just step-off a little bit from the gas pedal, both of them are based on massive middle tempo riffs, contains catchy choruses and fine guitar solos. Mistress Addiction is an exciting mixture of country and Dogs D’Amour, the next song Rejection speeds up the tempo again. Trigger would be an honor for L.A. Guns’ Hollywood Vampires-era, while Where R U Now is the song what Izzy always wanted to write.
The dirty, sleazy Sunset Strip punk/glam sound is Phil Soussan’s (Ozzy, Vince Neil, Billy Idol) excellent work. Babylon Boulevard is one of the best debut for a long time in this genre and because nowadays Europe is more open for bands like The Prophets of Addiction (especially Italy and Spain), hopefully we can catch them live in the summer.

9 out of 10
Adam Kulkey