Sick N Beautiful
Element Of Sex – Self Released
Having an image is part and parcel of being a band these days and some like Sick N Beautiful take the visual side of things to the extreme. Far from being a Gwar lite though this inter-galactic oriented five piece have done their homework and it shows. Their attention to detail and continuity is outstanding. Image though needs the music to back it up and Element Of Sex does that by dint of being a very solid melodic hard rock album with obvious Euro roots. Rather than covering up any deficiencies the space alien theme should be looked on as a bonus, and an extremely well thought out one at that. Each song is soundly written although the tempo is quite similar other than for the two openers Fire True and Megalomaniac which are sure to do well in a live environment. Heart December, a true power ballad and as such is a rare beast these days. It’s the perfect showcase for Herma’s vocals talent. While the music is good the vocals are often outstanding. You get the sense that Herma is actually singing well within herself and makes everything sound effortless. When you listen to an record you don’t see the artist, you just hear the music, and this album would be a perfectly good listen with any visuals taken away. But when you know what a band looks like and you listen to their music you see them in your mind, you visualise the performance. That’s why image is important and why Sick N Beautiful have given themselves an edge. Element Of Sex is a fine album from a band who should be praised for giving it their all and creating a bit of escapism. Chalk one up for the aliens.