Sweet Cyanide - Sweet Cyanide [Album]
 

Hardcore Superstar meet Buckcherry and together they decide it’s time to try and hit the charts. 'Crash Theory', the opener of this self-titled album by Sweet Cyanide has the feline scratching vocals of Josh Todd and Jocke Berg; it oozes of sexual energy, but with an added edge that gives them a chance to be appreciated by the less nostalgic as well. 'S.L.M.' (Suicide Love Machine) is still edgy but with a more pop-ish vibe, and the addition of female backing vocals add to that sexually charged atmosphere. 'Black & White' turns on the pop level and off go the long red scratchy nails.

'American Me' smells of early Marilyn Manson, and 'Certain Shadows on the Wall' has absolutely nothing similar with the first four tracks but it’s an amazing ballad in my opinion, a bit old fashioned but it works.

I just realised the track list is divided in a Side 1 and a Side 2, which doesn’t make much sense on a CD but it reminds me of old vinyl and tapes and I quite like that idea. Talking about the artwork: two capsules in the front (cyanide I guess?), white background, black/red characters, basically quite plain on the front cover but inside is A LOT different; tits, bums, tongues, pictures from some adult magazine all of which would make Buckcherry proud and I have to say that I like it! And I like the logo. A black / red broken heart with a white skull and white initials. Some logos just tell you what you’re going to listen to, and this is one of them.

Side Two of the self titled album opens with 'Heartbreaker' which is a good rock song. It is a bit dated but very enjoyable none the less. 'I wish U would' follows which is one of my favourite tracks on the album, absolutely unoriginal but extremely catchy and a definite feel good song; back to a slightly darker atmosphere with 'Under the Sun' and a romantic acoustic final track in 'When we were young'.

Overall, all the songs on this debut self titled album by Sweet Cyanide are quite pleasant; once you get to the end and listen again to the opener 'Crash Theory' you get the feeling that Sweet Cyanide don’t deliver exactly what they promise with that first track. These New Yorkers have absorbed many different influences and are not afraid of putting them all out there, they’re not looking for a label but rather for a voice.

New York gives us another product of its edgy multifaceted culture with this Sweet Cyanide self-titled debut and it sounds just like you would expect it to. An electric, sweaty live show is to be expected as well!

All the best to Sweet Cyanide with this album, and I hope to see them on this side of the pond very soon.