DANGEROUS TOYS - 'Dangerous Toys' Album Review
You know what was great about 80's metal...it was so damn fun! Sure everyone knows Twisted Sister, Ratt, Motley Crue etc....but there were so many great bands that just couldn't break into that top tier, but still produced some great rock n' roll. You may have never heard of bands like Dangerous Toys, Dirty Looks, or Black n' Blue…..and if you are tired of today's music scene with lip-synch pop stars who can't write a note of music or play one guitar chord..then this is the perfect time to discover some of these great bands. And Dangerous Toys is the perfect place to start.
Straight out of the gutters of Texas came this ass-kicking, no frills rock n roll band with a look and sound more early GNR than your typical sunset strip band of the day. The bands debut album featured the lead off single and video “Teas’n Pleas’n “ that lead to some instant success on Mtv and helped land the band a slot on the L.A. Guns 1989-90 World Tour, with special guest Dangerous Toys and Tora Tora.
The band followed that up with another great single and video for the song “Scared” a tribute to legendary shock rocker Alice Cooper.
What makes it stand out from similar releases first and foremost is its musicality and diversity. Every song brings something different to the table, some rock a little more, others are more melodic. There's no formulaic power ballad in sight. That's because Dangerous Toys were not about style or chart success but attitude. They were real. Singer Jason McMaster sounds a little bit like Axl Rose without being a carbon copy of him. He has a powerful voice and that tone of sleazy defiance that Steven Tyler showed during Aerosmith's heyday. In fact, the band's moniker and the cover, which shows an evil jack-in-the-box in the attic, are surely inspired by Aerosmith's most famous album and DANGEROUS TOYS match the qualities of the Boston legends: Their songs are as driving as they are danceable and their hooks have a tendency to get stuck in your head forever (Queen of the Nile, Ten Boots, Outlaw) all great tracks!
