Let me first explain that I love Warrant. They are one of my favorite bands of all-time. Dog Eat Dog and Belly to Belly are albums I listen to weekly and (I feel) are two of the most underrated albums of the nineties. When I heard that Jani Lane had (again) left Warrant I feared the worst (Born Again was terrible- sorry guys) but Robert Mason is an amazing singer and I thought he might be the guy that could keep post-Lane Warrant alive. After all, this is the same “band” that made Dog Eat Dog, right? Sadly, it’s certainly not.
The band’s latest release is their second release without Lane and is a step up from Born Again, where the band seemed out of sync and uninspired. On Rockaholic, you can at least hear them trying to mimic what they used to do so well. Songs like “Dusty’s Revenge,” “The Last Straw,” and “Tears in the City” try to relive some of the bands past glories and give fans what they want but they simply fall flat. “Innocence Gone” and “What Love Can Do” try to bring a more contemporary feel to the mix but just seem to lack the energy of the band’s best work. “Life’s a Song” is as close to a standout track as there is here. It’s bright, upbeat approach is reminiscent of some the songs Lane used on the Back Down to One album that, as I understand it, should have been Warrant songs.
Rockaholic is a solid but uneventful ride through some bluesy hard rock. Lane’s pop-tinged anthemic hard rock contributions are noticeably absent. Mason’s vocals are great but the band doesn’t have the same energy without Lane’s unique songs. Rockaholic tries and tries but just never gets there. I’m rooting for these guys and, like I said, this album is a lot better than Born Again, but Rockaholic just doesn’t have that wild spark that most of the band’s albums have.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
