MICHAEL MONROE - ‘Outerstellar’ Album review

It may just be me, but as a long-time fan of Hanoi Rocks, Demolition 23 and Michael’s solo career, the band’s last two albums - ‘One Man Gang’ (2019) and then ‘I Live Too Fast to Die Young’ (2022) - were solid enough, but felt as though they were missing something and haven’t withstood or encouraged as much repeated listening from me as some of their earlier work.

However, after only a few listens, I’m pleased to report that ‘Outerstellar’ finds the Michael Monroe Band rejuvenated, revitalised and refreshed, and at the top of their game with one of their most diverse releases to date owing largely to the welcome return of the inclusion of more band co-writes on the album in addition to more songs written by different band members.

Clocking in at 12 songs and 43 minutes, ‘Outerstellar’ is quite the musical ride.

First single and opening song ‘Rockin’ Horse’ bursts out of the speakers with intent creating a wall of sound above a rolling ascending and descending riff which Batman would’ve been proud of, broken up by chopping guitars and a big chorus. Strutting and swaggering into more familiar territory, ‘Shinola’ provides a big glam/punk showstopper with all of the makings of a live favourite written all over it and is followed by the at times more Alt, moody, heavy and almost Black Keys and White stripes-leaning ‘Black Cadillac’ - the first of three quite different songs.

Entering the second quarter of the album is where the diversity in sound really opens up. The Conte-penned ‘When the Apocalypse Comes’ is far from the doom-laden territory suggested by the title and features wonderfully uplifting jangly guitars, an almost Dylan-esque vocal, and as a song sounding very much in Heartbreakers territory, but of the Tom Petty kind instead of their more usual Johnny Thunders variety; another Conte song ‘Painless’ turns the dial effortlessly and confidently to Eastern, psychedelic, brooding and trippy; and ‘NewtroBombs’ takes us firmly into Wildhearts territory and you could have been forgiven for thinking it was 2010 and Ginger was still in the band.

‘Disconnected’, the second single from the album, grabbed me the second I heard it on Planet Rock radio while driving and I had to turn the volume up before I even knew who it was. Full credit to Rich Jones. This is a massive song which could attract a much wider audience. Starting with Sami’s rumbling bass accompanied by Karl’s bass drum and sparing hi-hat, before a searching guitar, half-spoken vocal and chords layer on, the song then builds up as the verse progresses into a soaring and shout it to the rooftops chorus which we could still be singing when we’re dead.

How do you follow that? A question also asked by other acts if unlucky enough to be on stage after the Michael Monroe Band, but on this album … not a problem when you’ve got the wonderfully melodic chorus of ‘Precious’ up next.

Another couple of up-tempo songs of the type the band produces so effortlessly follows in the form of ‘Pushin’ Me Back’ and ‘Rode to Ruin’, but sandwiched between them is ‘Glitter & Dust’. What can I say about this song other than it’s just a beautiful song whose acoustic intro will have your heart in a mess before Michael’s gently sung (yes, sung - no big rock vocal here) vocals capture your soul. Lyrically reflective, the song finds him displaying a raw tenderness and vulnerability in his intimate and almost confessional vocals.

For a band more known for short blasts of glam/punk, the unusually long album closer ‘One More Sunrise’ at 7 minutes and 40 seconds has an epic dream-like quality to it, without a second of slack and doesn’t over-stay its welcome …. and providing a tantalising aural glimpse of what ‘Tommy’ might have sounded like if The Who had been a glam/punk opera starring Lou Reed.

And it that’s not enough you need to order yourself a copy of the Japanese version of the CD, as I did, which contains an additional entire bonus album with 11 songs captured live during an acoustic set at ‘On The Rocks’, Helsinki, in September 2024.

Closer in nature to MTV Unplugged, with the full band including bass and drums, than just a guy with an acoustic guitar, this bonus CD is pretty special.

Highlights include ‘Hammersmith Palais’ which in its stripped back form here is a completely different and more emotional song to that recorded by Demolition 23 and appearing regularly in the band’s live set; great covers of Sylvain Sylvain’s ‘Medicine Man’ and Stiv Bators’ ‘The Last Year’; a brilliant version of the always fun ‘Boiler (Me Boiler ‘n’ me)’ with the band sounding here like a Finnish Faces, ‘Ballad of the Lower East Side’ and ‘Up Around the Bend’. Wonderful stuff.

The Michael Monroe Band are -

Michael Monroe - vocals and saxophone

Steve Conte - lead and rhythm guitar, and backing vocals

Rich Jones - lead and rhythm guitar, and backing vocals

Sami Yaffa - bass and backing vocals

Karl Rockfist - drums

‘Outerstellar’ is out now and is available on all of the usual platforms.

GMcA