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This is definitely a band that do not take themselves seriously! Having gigged regularly during the 1990's, Naked flames are now essentially a recording act, playing only the occasional gig. This could probably be down to the fact that they've been banned from a number of venues, because of their spectacular fire-breathing act! Describing themselves as a metal band turned comedy act, Naked Flames remind me of the legendary Spinal Tap. There is no doubt that Naked Flames are a fantastic metal band, but are they really as funny as they'd have you believe? Well, provided that you aren't looking for highbrow, intellectual observations, I'd say…yes! With song titles such as "Frankensex", "I've Got a Big Love Machine" and "Clone My Bone", Naked Flames wear their schoolboy humour on their (record) sleeves! "Love Like a Rocket" is a prime example of the Naked Flames style, with it's Sabbathesque riff and Ozzy clone vocals. The lyrics are a pastiche of classic 70's metal songs such as "Silver Machine", for example," Shortly after lift-off, she'll send you to the moon." "I Said I was a Rover" begins in a similar vein to "Angie" by The Stones…that is until the vocals kick in! With heartfelt lines such as, "I said I was a rover, a real Casanova, soon as I've had my leg-over, I head off down the boozer" and "as soon as I've shot my load, I'm off down the road!" This is schoolboy humour at it's most puerile, and Naked Flames make no excuses for that. Although essentially a metal band, Naked Flames occasionally cover, or should I say, poke fun at, a number of different styles, from the early Beatles' (I've Got A Big Love Machine) to The Faces (Michelle) and The Rolling Stones (I said I was a Rover). Naked Flames are having fun with their music and I applaud them for that. They are daft and at times foul-mouthed, but hey, that's what schoolboy humour is all about! There's nothing pretentious in the Naked Flames style, just old fashioned, nudge-nudge wink-wink fun. This is the sort of album that will sell a few copies, but get passed around factory floors and schoolyards, and end up being listened to by millions! Gary Williams - The Music Guru Naked Flames are odd, they most certainly are. Imagine Monty Python and the Carry On films put to punk rock music, this is the closest analogy I can deliver. Now not every song has a catchy light-hearted edge and those that don't are pretty good 80's rock style songs. Nothing over complex, just good time upbeat simplistic rock that comes complete with a prog and classic style vibe and production, and in songs like 'Nightmare love' we have something of an Eagles influenced track. The band cover all aspects, and even throw in a 50's ballad sounding song, although it's rude and makes me blush! (Not really!). He takes it up the Gary' is the highlight for the fun stakes, and helps complete a decent interlude away from real life. Raw Nerve Nice to hear something different and with thought and effort. Takingnotes.org.uk Fans of Barse or 3CR will lap this up, especially as it’s competently delivered. Headwound Zine Pioneers of a new sub-genre in Comedy-Rock, Naked Flames offer up fourteen songs of bizarreness, with a sound pitched somewhere between punk rock, blues-rock and cock rock. They take the piss out of Guns N’ Roses on ‘Nightmare Love’. ‘I Said I Was a Rover’ is a warped ballad and ‘I’ve Got a Big Love Machine’ is bubblegum in 50s style. ‘Love Like a Rocket’ was great. Positive Creed #11 Bubblegum Slut Fanzine Issue 19 Animal Love Review by James Wright One for those mourning the lack of activity from Sack Trick in recent months, Naked Flames have all the bad taste humour, stupid songs and sheep loving of Chris Dale's mob. Like the 'Trick' Naked Flames are a very British comedy metal act, approaching allsorts of devious deeds with the dirty mind of VIZ. On 'Animal Love' they tackle a sheep shagger in a sticky situation ('Stuck Up'), ladies who love ladies ('She Likes Hunnie') and gents smuggling bananas in their pockets ('I've Got a Big Love Machine'). Musically Naked Flames are just as perverse, moving from Sabbath-esque metal to acoustic balladry on easily their finest moment 'I Said I Was a Rover'. At times though some punk metal numbers feel like mere hasty afterthoughts to the comedy routine lyrics, though many of NFs apparent musical shortcomings could probably be put down to the rather lop-sided production that leaves 'Animal Love' all bass and vocals. Sure to raise a few naughty giggles all the same though. This is the first single from the forthcoming album 'Animal Love', which is due out some time later in the year. This CD is either; a) A political statement regarding the slow decay of society’s infrastructure on a political and sociological environment, or b) a take on Dostoevsky’s novel ‘Brothers Karamazov’, with hints of Chaucer, Byron, and George Bernard Shaw thrown in for good measure, or c) a collection of k**b jokes. The title track starts with a nice little ska guitar, and a large dosage of 1950’s doo-wop. But with lyrics like, ‘I’ve got a function like a truncheon / It’s the monster from zippy’s dungeon’ or, ‘I got a honker of a stonker / And I will bonk her until she is satisfied’. Not exactly Cole Porter, (but I don’t imagine that is the idea). Now I can imagine Black Lace recording this. I must admit, I did have a chuckle when I first heard it, but in a puerile schoolboy kind of way, (which may well be the idea). We even end the track with two high school kids talking a la ‘Leader Of The Pack’. (Is she really going out with him?...) This is quite funny. The second track, she makes ‘Love Like A Rocket’ is a more metal affair. A cross between Saxon and Motorhead, with suitably apt lyrics about being launched into outer space (er…). I can’t help but be reminded of Spinal Tap, and Bad News. On the cd sleeve it states the three members of the band, but no drummer, did he self combust? I’ve seen photos of skeletons in the drummers stool, and I’ve heard that the lead singer occasionally drums, but have they a self combusting drummer? Seriously, this actually is an excellent heavy metal song, which doesn’t take itself seriously. The final track is billed as the Beeston version of the title song, and comes across as Chubby Brown meets Viz’s Fat Slags via, ‘Rita, Sue, And Bob Too’. Listening to this CD, I have the impression that these gentlemen are old enough to know better, but hey if it made Chubby Brown a millionaire… By Chris Oddy |
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