By Vinnie Apicella

Danger Danger's fifth album recalls the hungry days of their youth and pays tribute to the one time hotbed of NYC rock and roll talent, a club called The Great Gildersleeves… a little before my time but cool name though. And wasn't he a magician or something? Anyway now we can better understand exactly what the "return of…" refers to, and ironically enough, every time the name Danger Danger's bandied about, there's always like a "whatever happened to them" type of reaction. Sometime in the early nineties between albums two and three the band was forced into temporary exile and so to set the record straight, they've always been around in one form or another, but none of the labels bothered paying attention. This time the band, still working as a trio, has come through with their most promising effort in years… if not the best they've ever done. I don't want to go too far out on a limb with this because it's been years since I heard either of their first two. This one's better than their last though without question. The songs here are more fired up, more exciting, less contrived… and, a song devoted to the original "Six Million Dollar Man" series? Now that's all I needed to hear… and a very interesting song it is, got that sort of then futuristic 1970's vibe to it! First track here is called "Grind," and is one of the best songs I've ever heard them do. It's got all the tools-heavy on the power chords, melodic in all the right places and tight backing vocals! "She's Gone" ranks as one of their stronger power ballads in recent memory and I just love the catchiness that saunters in and above the feverish chorus that singer Paul Laine-a Maple Leaf's fan?-excels on. In fact by this time, Laine's vocals should have made fans forget about the long since departed… umm, what's his name, oh, Ted Poley-I almost forgot! Danger Danger's back where they belong now for the second straight album, recreating their passion for writing catchy, upbeat rock and roll that still glimmers with the flair from the past-see also, "When She's Good She's Good…," "Dead Drunk & Wasted," and the reminiscent "Cherry Cherry…" with a slick nod back to '79 and "Surrender." The production work here's full blown and while the basic elements of their original melodic rock style remain intact, they do a nice job of introducing subtle nuances-see the Steve Austin song, "Dead Dog" and "Get in the Ring," to keep their sound fresh in directing their attention toward a more listener friendly future. Maybe more bands should do like Danger Danger and return to the well to gain their inspiration!

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