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Guilty As Sin

      
         
         
         
     
             
Girlschool are an all female heavy metal band from the UK formed in 1978. Prominent during the evolution of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal in the eighties, Girlschool have survived a number of line-up changes and the death of founding member Kelly Johnson, to establish themselves as the most successful all female heavy metal band. Since the release of their debut album in 1980, Girlschool have released twelve studio and four live albums. 2015 saw the release of their thirteenth album 'Guilty As Sin' ... on a Friday 13th !    
             
Girlschool are one of those bands that you can rely on to produce good music with every album that they release and there is no exception with this new one. Retaining their original sound, the new album opens with the chugging, anthemic 'Come The Revolution'. The chorus is a great chant, the guitars smack of the eighties NWOBHM sound and Girlschool are back in the saddle. Famed for their denim and leather approach to heavy metal, you are more likely to see the band sipping a pint down the local pub than lapping it up in a health spa. 'Take It Like A Band' is punchy and full to the brim with punk-ish attitude and raw out and out pace. Over the years Girlschool have been compared to the legendary British band Motorhead and 'Take It Like A Band' would not be out of place on any Motorhead album. Title song 'Guilty As Sin' drops the pace and introduces a blues rock feel as it foot stomps its way mercilessly through some cracking riffs and chugging rhythms. 'Guilty As Sin' is catchy and guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.    
             
Title song 'Guilty As Sin' drops the pace and introduces a blues rock feel as it foot stomps its way mercilessly through some cracking riffs and chugging rhythms. 'Guilty As Sin' is catchy and guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. Blunt and brash 'Treasure' hits hard and is a solid, melodic hard rock song. 'Awkward Position' is a slight departure from the famous Girlschool sound, and the song kinda drags its heels as it slumbers on its way. 'Awkward Position' is probably the best description for where it sits within the album.    
             
Girlschool are well known for their cover songs, having covered such icons as ZZ Top ('Tush'), Kiss ('Do You Love Me'), Sweet ('Fox On The Run') and probably most famously Motorhead ('Bomber'). So it comes as no surprise that there is a cover on the new album too, But it does come as a surprise as to who...The Bee Gees, yes that's right The Bee Gees 'Staying Alive'. But what Girlschool have done is impressive. The rhythm stays true to the original but it is much heavier and with some re-working of the lyrics, Girlschool have almost made it their own. The guitar driven 'Perfect Storm' is up tempo and almost lands in the soft rock genre...but for the vocals and chugging back line. Like a gust of wind that breezes past to lighten the atmosphere 'Perfect Storm' rocks by in a flash. American blues based hard rock sneaks in when 'Painful' hits the airwaves. It mixes well with the British heavy metal sound to produce an intriguing aural pleasure.    
             
Pace quickens, guitars buzz and drums thunder as 'Night Before' storms in like a freight train. 'Night Before' is typical Girlschool, fast and furious, urgent yet with melody and a bloody good head banger of a song. Untypical of Girlschool though is their second choice for a cover song...a folk song. Yep. A folk song...that has been sung by many bands over the years in various disguises and with varying lyrics. 'Everybody Loves (Saturday Night)' is primarily a chant style song and what Girlschool manage to do, is heavy it up and make it sound not folk. You can just see it now live in concert, the entire audience chanting the song title at the tops of their voices while raising their fists in the air.    
             
There are two bonus songs on the album, re-recorded versions of two classic Girlschool songs. The first is 'Coming Your Way' off their 2002 album '21st Anniversary: Not That Innocent' and is exactly everything that Girlschool stand for...hard rocking, hard hitting heavy metal with great guitar work and awesome vocals. The second is probably their most well known song never to have officially been released on an album, it was released as the B side to their 1981 'Hit And Run' single. 'Tonight' has the classic NWOBHM sound to it and is a pleasurable blast from the past. Raucous and full of energy 'Tonight' is a head banging pleasure and takes me all the way back to when I first heard it...oh yes, I remember it the first time around and it sounds as great now as it did way back then.    
             
Overall, cracking NWOBHM sounding album from the iconic Girlschool full of energy with punk and blues influences. It is raucous and a reminder of how great Girlschool are.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Review is also featured at Metal Gods TV    
             
             
Other Reviews    
             

           
           
The School Report 1978-2008      
Boxed Set          
"an outstanding five CD boxed set celebrating Girlschool's incredible career in heavy metal" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             

           
           
WTFortyfive?      
           
"a barnstorming barrage of infectious heavy metal from one of the worlds best and longest serving metal bands - Girlschool" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             
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