CD Review: Sami Yaffa’ Satan’s Helpers War Lazer Eyes & The Money Pig Circus (2024)

Former Hanoi Rocks/New York Dolls bassist Sami Yaffa jumps back in the fray with a sophomore effort that’s every bit as fierce, inspired, and rocking as his 2021 debut, The Innermost Journey To Your Outermost Mind. Sporting an even more unwieldy title than previous, Satan’s Helpers sees the Finnish rock ‘n’ roll lifer expanding his musical palette beyond the shambolic crank ‘n’ spank of his previous bands. The title track is a tasty lil’ blues number with slinky guitar and plenty of atmosphere, with Yaffi handling most of the instrumentation. When the song explodes a little more than two minutes in, it assumes dino-rock status with warped vox and monster guitar licks leading the charge. It’s an auspicious way to start the album, kicking the listener’s arse right from Jump Street…

Although “Silver or Lead” isn’t as cerebral as its predecessor, its minimal instrumentation, machinegun drumbeats (courtesy of Yaffa’s childhood friend Janne Haavisto), and overall blustery vibe carries the performance far. By the time that Yaffa and his road-weary touring band hit “Hurricane Hank” they’re running recklessly into whatever battle they can find, the song living up to its moniker with an unrelenting barrage of gang vocals, dense instrumentation, and flamethrower guitars (with Dregen from the Hellacopters lighting the spark). The muted vocals of “Death Squad” are buried beneath an intoxicating rhythm while the mid-tempo ballad “Down Home” benefits from NYC pal Steve Conte’s acoustic strum. Yaffa’s pals like Michael Monroe and Nasty Suicide (the former providing honkin’ sax, the latter incendiary fretwork) add color and noise to tunes like the rampaging, amphetamine “Shitshow” or the exotic “Far Star.” With Satan’s Helpers, Yaffa delivers an unbridled, joyful noise guaranteed to bludgeon even the most hidebound listener into rock ‘n’ roll bliss. (Livewire/Cargo, released February 11th, 2024)

Buy the CD from Amazon: Sami Yaffa’ Satan’s Helpers War Lazer Eyes & The Money Pig Circus

Archive Review: Michael Monroe’s Life Gets You Dirty (2000)

Michael Monroe was an integral part of Hanoi Rocks – one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most tragically overlooked bands. Over the course of half a dozen albums, Hanoi Rocks set the stage for most of what would follow in ’80s hard rock.

Guns ‘N Roses would subsequently rip off a good deal of Hanoi Rocks’ unique hybrid of flamboyant glam-rock and metal-edged hard rock, with Axl repaying the favor by getting the Hanoi Rocks’ catalog reissued stateside by Geffen. After the death of the Hanoi’s drummer, the band broke-up. Monroe made a couple of solo albums afterwards, later returning to Europe and fading from stateside awareness.

Michael Monroe’s Life Gets You Dirty

As an original Hanoi Rocks fan, I was overjoyed to find Life Gets You Dirty stuffed in my mailbox one afternoon and after a couple of months of listening to Monroe’s long-overdue solo effort, I am not disappointed. Life Gets You Dirty plumbs much of the same hard rock territory as Monroe’s previous solo material, and even his work with Hanoi Rocks, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Monroe’s vocals are particularly suited to this type of performances, complimented by additional vocals from songwriting partner Jude Wilder.

Monroe’s blistering guitar work evokes memories of former bandmate Andy McCoy while his current rhythm section nails every song. Cuts such as “Just Because You’re Paranoid,” “If The World Don’t Want Me” and  “What’s With The World?” as well as the obligatory Hanoi cover, “Self Destruction Blues” rock with a fervor and electricity that is truly timeless.

Since Life Gets You Dirty is an import disc, it may be difficult to find on your local music store’s thinly-stocked shelves. If you like your rock hard, though, you might want to check out Michael Monroe. With a high-voltage blend of amplified roots-rock, heavy metal, punk attitude and glam theatrics, Life Gets You Dirty blows away every hard rock poseur on the charts today. (Steamhammer Records, 1999)

Review originally published by Alt.Culture.Guide™, 2000