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CD Review: Buckcherry

Black Butterfly

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The Deal: Rockers release fourth studio album, follow-up to platinum, Grammy-nominated 15.

The Good: Singer Josh Todd has one of the better rock vocals out today – enough rasp, can hit the notes and a guttural scream that charges you up. The album kicks off with a couple of heavy rockers – "Rescue Me" and "Tired of You" – before landing on its hit single "Too Drunk." The band shows another side with "All of Me" – an acoustic song that's almost a follow-up to 15's "Brooklyn." They also get a bit bluesy with "Rose," a slow rumbler that picks up as the song goes on. "A Child Called It" reminded me a bit of Social Distortion.

The Bad: It's entertaining, but the band is almost getting formulaic – first there was "Lit Up," then "Porno Star," then "Crazy Bitch" and, now, "Too Drunk." I could do without the ballads – "Dreams" sounds like the previously released "Everything," and "Don't Go Away" didn't impress me either. "Talk to Me" reminded me of an old Aerosmith song mixed with its own "Broken Glass" – the verdict is still out on this track.

The Verdict: There's no doubt the band's reunion after breaking up was a good idea. With four albums out, you should know what to expect by now – songs about heartache/love, drinking/drugs and plenty of raunch and sex.