Review - Buckcherry: Fuck EP

I wonder if this album cover has any special meaning?

Buckcherry have been one of my favorite bands since coming onto the scene in 1999.  They quickly showed that good ol' fashioned rock n' roll was not yet dead.  They've had some killer albums ("Timebomb" "15"), and some just okay albums with a few killer songs ("All Night Long", "Confessions"), and it's always seemed that when they try to be more radio friendly... that's when their music tends to fail the most.  So they decided to release a new EP under their own label, and intentionally put the word "fuck" into each song.  Just to prove to us all that they still have their balls.

The Good - It's Buckcherry, so it rocks.  You can continue to hear their GnR-AC/DC-Aerosmith influences all over the place on this EP, just like any of their past releases.  The song "Say Fuck It" is a cover of "I Don't Care" and if it weren't for that four letter word, could've been played on the radio.  But getting on the radio doesn't seem to be this album's purpose.  The gang in Buckcherry are great at writing openers and closers of albums, and "Fist Fuck" is another great closing track that wants you to just start the album over again.

The Bad - "I Don't Give A Fuck" is the only track of the six that I think I'll be skipping over.  It just seems to repeat the ideas of "Say Fuck It" but without the sing-a-long qualities.  Also, Buckcherry have been promoting their Singles Club subscription service, offering a new song each month for the next six months, and their cover of the Rolling Stones' "Beast Of Burden" was so excellent I was sad to see it not turn up here as a bonus or hidden track.  They could have easily called it "Fucking Beast Of Burden."

The Verdict - I think what Buckcherry have done here is work within a formula that other established bands should work with.  Six songs for six bucks, very little filler, and I'd imagine two of them will find their way into their live set.  If you like classic rock without all the fucking bullshit, give this a listen.

- ryan