The Unripes-This Is Not America

Street Symphonies Records
2012

The Unripes, who were reportedly born a "one-night-only-band" back in 2005, issued this, their full-length debut LP, at the tail end of 2012. Call it a Christmas present then to sleaze rock aficionados as this bunch, which includes original founding members vocalist Axia (Vocals) and Michele "Mike P." Pelillo (Guitarist) teaming up with newcomers Uncle Sappa (Bass and formerly of Midnight Sun and Sutuana) and drummer Sevens (a.k.a. Lucas Setti from Trick Or Treat), ripped their sound right out of the fabric of time and space circa early-mid eighties @ California. Even though we have here a bunch that has self-dubbed their style "Sleaze-Core" this aptly-tilted release (which probably means something different for this batch then it does to us Americans these days) is more about the likes of Mötley Crüe, Poison, Trixter and Jetboy then anything else. A more modern day comparison for this Italian 4-piece could be Crashdiet, but these guys do tend to up-the-anti as it were with splashes of modern metal and crackling, Billy Idol-style, rock. Even when it comes to the glam infusions that the members of The Unripes must have took prior to unleashing this debut-album there is variety. Musically/muscularly The Unripes end up swinging back and forth between light fare such as Nitro (the glam rockers) to the much more filling hard rock of an act like Twisted Sister. They do all of this with a sense of humor and an obvious love for their own "Sleaze-Core". Of the 9 tracks here we get one cover in Geri Halliwell's "Scream If You Wanna Go Faster" which, arguably, could be the this albums strongest cut with the other 8 tracks being original compositions. Of those 8 cuts this bunch ends up going from the strong/hard rocking impact that is "Reload" and "My Muse Is Called Rock 'n' Roll" to the "this would have been better suited being left off of this debut-album" misfire that is "The Star Beyond This Wall". Those statistics are pretty solid coming from any new band let alone one that was formed on the fly! "This Is Not America" is a release that could have used a little tweaking (originalityy speaking), but it's hard to find fault given how fun this record is to soak up. Give this group more time (if they do prove to be more then a one-and-done project) and we could very well be looking at the next Crashdiet as this act looks primed and ready to pounce on the scene!