Customer Reviews

Feel the Steel

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I've been reading the somber reviews and can't believe what I'm reading. They are a PARODY band, not serious, on purpose.

These songs are well done metal reproductions of the best of metal from bygone days, when metal could be FUN as well as dark. Everything doesn't have to make a statement. The lyrics are just the epitome of what these bands were really doing as well as possibly saying between the lines.

This album is hilarious and fun and worth the effort and price. Beware, the lyrics are very raunchy, if you can't handle that, then this is certainly not for you.

STEEL PANTHER ROCKS!!!!

If you enjoy 80's Hair Metal bands then Steel Panther is for you. They have captured the sound and the attitude perfectly of the late 80's hair band scene without taking themselves too seriously. The explicit content label is well deserved as they sing about what most band merely hint about with their lyrics. Song titles such as "Eatin' Aint Cheatin", "Fat Girl (Thar She Blows)" and "The Shocker" are perfect examples of this. My favorite songs on the disc are "Death to all but Metal" (great video for this online if you can find it) and "Community Property" which is a perfect example of the hair metal ballad that will make you laugh out loud. Fans of hair metal do yourselves a favor and give Steel Panther a listen. You will not regret this purchase.

First things first, Feel the Steel is a masterpiece. An instant classic. This is the best metal CD to grace the earth in decades.

The members of Steel Panther (fka Danger Kitty, Metal Shop, and Metal Skool) have been cutting their teeth in the biz since the late 80s, working their butts off to catch the break that the best known L.A. bands were able build lasting careers from. Ralph (vocals) and Russ (guitar) played in a Van Halen cover band for years and earned national attention with the skill and dedication they put into making the show so true to the original. Later, Ralph recorded a CD with the sinking ship that was the 1990s-era L.A. Guns. While they were always part of the scene, they never hit it big time... until now.

Sure, there is a satirical element to the whole shtick if you want there to be. Call it Spinal Tap, Fozzy, whatever. Steel Panther sells their fictitious back story well, and if you wish to embrace that aspect of the band and their stage-name alter-egos like I do, this band is an experience on a whole different level. I am fortunate enough to have been a part of their live show, and it was one of the finest concert-going experiences of my life. These guys are as genuine, passionate, and humble as you will find in the industry.

Even if you choose to ignore the satire, Feel the Steel is still an unbelievable stand-alone album by its own merits. The musicianship is second to none, the production is top notch, and the metal is relentless as you pick out riffs and hooks reminiscent of every glam band from Bon Jovi to Ratt to Whitesnake. You're doing yourself a complete disservice if you buy into the negative reviews and write this one off as some sort of 80s metal parody. These songs are destine to be classics, and will stick in your head for a long, long time.

Critics will throw out terms like "juvenile" and "toilet humor". Yes, I'll admit...this album is pretty filthy. If you're easily offended or only want feel-good power ballads, this probably won't be for you. But those who hear references to cottage cheese thighs and reproductive fluid emissions and see how it all fits into the celebration of the excess referred to as "sex, drugs, and rock n' roll" will become bigger fans with every replay. There are just so many levels of genius at work with this 11-song masterpiece that the written word will never do it justice. Growing up a huge fan of Motley, Guns, Poison, and so forth, I couldn't recommend it more.

This is Metal. Proper Metal. Real Metal. Metal so real if you cut it it would bleed METAL. And not that fag false nu alloy rubbish this is pure Metal. Metal with a capital M. Metal with a capital E. Metal with a capital T. In fact the T is a huge Metal cross bigger than the other Metal letters. Why? Because on that Metal T cross METAL nearly died for your sins! But now METAL is resucuitat resserect reserr, Metal is back!

This is SO Metal. More metal than you can handle. This is more Metal than Mr Metal who worked in the METAL producing Metal factory making Metal \m/ o_0 \m/ where he met Miss Metal and then fell into a metal cage filled with metal swarf and he was pierced with Metal, real METAL. And he swallowed more metal he became Metal and they had you.

This is more Metal than YOU! More Metal than you deserve!

*****

Musically this is utter perfection, on a par with anything from the very best of 80s US arena rock.

In terms of songwriting ability Feel The Steel is also a cut above. Highlights come thick and fast (as the Panther might say...): the riff to and ending of Asian Hooker are peerless, the call to arms of Death to All But Metal would do Manowar proud in its chest beating machismo. The first minute of Turn Out The Lights is worth the price alone.

Every reference, be it the blues of Great White (on the Uncle Cracker pastiche Girl from Oklahoma), the stadium pomp of Bon Jovi (Party All Day), the brainless, unintentional, witicisms of Kiss (Hell's On Fire), the sleaze of Faster Pussycat, the sugar glam of Poison, the interminable lighters-in-the-air balladry of Extreme or David Lee Roth's cheek; it's all top notch and you'll stay for the music long after the grade school toilet humour of the lyrics has passed.

That is Steel Pather's only drawback and what, ultimately will limit their success. Their tongue is definitely in the cheek but the one-track-mind and mysogyny of the lyrics does grate after a while. Indeed, it can't be long before someone gets there hands on the music and adapts the vocals to be more consumer orientated; it's a multi-million seller when they do.

But still, it is a 5 star masterpiece. Spinal Tap have been out Spinal'd.

This band gets it. And if you don't, you never will. This is nothing short of a masterpiece and should be mandatory listening for any headbanger. It's a graduate course in 80s metal. Forget Anvil, this is the metal comeback of the year.

After seeing Steel Panther at a rock festival and being totally entertained by the combination of hilarious on-stage banter and well-crafted, very well-played songs, I couldn't wait to "Feel the Steel." Unfortunately, it's only available as an import right now, but I was so blown away by the show, I went ahead and paid the extra $$$ to get it. Totally worth it.

There are a few comedians who play guitar and sing goofy songs, but this is well beyond that. First of all, these guys are truly gifted musicians--especially guitarist Satchel (Russ Parrish) and singer Michael Starr (Ralph Saenz). If you're a fan of 80's pop-metal or hair bands, you'll quickly discover that these guys are, too. That's what makes this work so well. Although they're clearly making fun of the genre, they're clearly well-versed in it. As you listen, you'll hear bits that recall hits by Warrant, Extreme, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, and others.

I've already listened to this more than any other cd I've bought this year. In fact, it's so good, I picked up a disc from Russ Parrish's other band (in which he sings lead and plays guitar), The Thornbirds. Horrible name, but good cd. I can't believe this guy flies under the radar like he does. The guy can play.

I would've given this one 6 stars if I could.

I bought this CD for my husband for Christmas. Now I find myself singing the songs. Very vulgar, very funny and incredible talent. These guys are the real thing. The music is amazing but not for little ears!

I was in high school from 1983 to 1987, and I saw Ratt, Motley Crue, Cinderella, Autograph, Dokken, and many, many more hair metal bands perform in their prime, as well has having attended party after party where cassettes and CDs of those bands supplied the soundtrack. I can safely say that Steel Panther have completely nailed "it." It's a parody so good that they could pass for the real thing, and it's extremely funny to boot.

There are nuances in the way they play the music in particular, that I think only a fan who was around during the original genre can appreciate. Steel Panther play like a band that has genuine love for hair metal culture, and that's why they're able to parody it so brilliantly.

I think that's where the line may be drawn between the love and hate reviews here. To the generation that only knows the original bands through YouTube and VH-1, that extra level of detail is perhaps unappreciated. I'm not talking about the over-the-top lyrics, but just the way the music "feels" when I listen to it. I was there, and Steel Panther have recreated it dead-on.

80's metal played better than any 80's metal band. Best 80's metal sounding recording. The funniest lyrics I've ever heard.
Killer musical talent and insane lyrics(in a good way).

this album and band are truly spectacular. i just listened to this cd for the first time on the bands myspace page and was laughing my a** off!! this is one of the most original music acts i've seen in a long time. and i listen to A LOT of metal. but this takes the cake.
it's PERFECT 80'S METAL with completely raunchy and funny lyrics. and by raunchy i don't mean the 'suggestive' type of lyrics laid down by 80's metal stalwarts like whitesnake, warrant and poison. these are some of the most explicit lyrics i've ever heard on one cd. (the only other cd that was worse than this was BODY COUNT's self titled album)
it's really hard to pick highlights from this album because every song is a highlight. but i'd say that DEATH TO ALL BUT METAL is my favorite of the bunch, with it's lyrics that tear down popular music acts of today and push for the death of them and their music.
so the bottom line is this: if you like the 80's metal style of music and aren't afraid of explicit lyrics about sex, then this is DEFINITELY the album for you!

get this album!!! you'll be rocking out hard and laughing your a** off at the same time.