Kev Rowland There are times when you just want to grab a musician firmly around the neck, and when they are struggling for breath get close to them and say as delicately as you can, “What on earth were you thinking?” When I saw the name of the band, and then the album artwork, I already knew what these guys were going to sound like and I just wasn’t in the mood for some sleaze. But, I am committed to listening to everything I am asked to review, and then spent the next 45 minutes asking myself the same question as above. Whatever one may think of the band from their name and cover art, what we have here is a masterpiece of modern melodic metal. Audio Porn has been formed by singer/ songwriter Azriel St. Michael and drummer Byron Black, both former Jezebels Kiss members, and Hydrogyn guitarist/producer Jeff Westlake. One thing that is really strange though is that as Jezebels Kiss, Azriel and Byron recorded ‘Positive Hostility’ in 2009, and this 2012 album is effectively a re-recording of that album with the same artwork.

So, no idea why that happened, but if it hadn’t I wouldn’t now be listening to this, and it really is a masterclass in modern metal with a hint of the Eighties. There is no doubt that this has been aimed at rock radio, but there is still an honesty about the proceedings that allows them to get away with it. If you want a ballad, or a ballsy rocker, all with great vocals and a strong production then it is all here. It may not be breaking any new ground, but if you just want a fine melodic album that proves that you can still have balls yet concentrate on melody then this will be of interest to you. For more details and videos etc visit the site at www.audiopornmusic.com. Now if only they could change the name….

Time Signature It's not a dream...

Genre: hard rock

Juxtapose the band photo and the band's name, and you might be lead into thinking that Audio Porn is another sleazy glam metal band from the 1980s, now old and worn out men, desperately trying to get back into the limelight, and the album cover art only seems to further support this suspicion.

But prejudice is a bad thing, and Audio Porn's "Jezebels Kiss" is a reminder that you should not judge what people do on the basis of their appearance only. You see, Audio Porn actually deliver ass kicking hard rock with none of the pathetic outdated sleaze of the glam rock dinosaurs that should have stayed buried with the 80s; only the sex-themed lyrics venture into the oozing ocean of sleaze. "Jezebels Kiss" features 11 strong rock 'n' roll songs which offer both catchy melody (as in the case of the uptempo rocker 'It's not a Dream') and heavy grooves (as in 'Deeper than the Bone', 'Cry Me a River', and 'Cut'). Even the ballad-like 'Above the Stars' features some heavy, but melodic, riffage in the verse and a more grungy chorus.

The production is unpolished, preserving some of the rawness that characterizes rock 'n' roll. We are not talking underproduction, of course, but this is not an album that is crisp and sterile sounding. There is a deliberate commercial feel to the album (heard in the vocal melodies and the handful of ballads on the album), but Audio Porn have not sacrificed the authenticity of rock 'n' roll in the name of commerciality.

"Jezebels Kiss" is a solid hard rock album with commercial appeal, and if you are in the mood for melodic hard rock with slightly groovy tendencies, then this album is probably what you are looking for.