American Hardcore

by Stephen Thomas ErlewineL.A. Guns' follow-up to their comeback effort Vicious Circle returns the band to the sound of their hair metal heyday. Of course, the music on American Hardcore is anything but hardcore -- it's standard pop-metal, complete with Kiss, Zeppelin, Aerosmith and Mötley Crüe overtones. L.A. Guns do sound tougher than they did on their last few major-label albums, but their hooks aren't quite as strong as they were on their late-'80s records, and songs like "Kevorkian" and "Black Sabbath" sound a bit forced. Nevertheless, the record is a return-to-form of sorts, since the group is more focused and energetic than they had been since the early '90s.