Nitro is an American Glam metal band formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It was officially founded in 1987 after the release of lead vocalist Jim Gillette’s solo album Proud To Be Loud and recruited Michael Angelo Batio (famous for his Double V-Neck guitar and then surprising Quad guitar X-400 – with 4 necks), bassist T.J. Racer, and Bobby Rock (previously of Vinnie Vincent Invasion).
The band began to recording material for their debut album. Signed by Rhino Entertainment, Nitro released O.F.R. in 1989, the acronym comes from “Out-Fucking-Rageous”. It’s hard to say that it was a successful release as a lot of people didn’t like the sound of it and thought it was hilariously awkward, but I’d rather say that the album was average. The best song in the album in my opinion is ‘Freight Train’, where there is a great shredding performed by M.A. Batio. Later on, the song ‘Machine Gunn Eddie’ was featured on the soundtrack to the 2009 video game, Brütal Legend.
Two years later, the band Nitro released their second and last album; Nitro II: H.W.D.W.S. (Hot, Wet, Drippin’ With Sweat) in March 1992, and Nitro finally disbanded in 1993. However, they returned back in 2013 with their album Lethal Dose, and in 2014 the album we’re reviewing for you today Volatile Activity.
The album has 11 tracks and although the album came out in 2014, it gives you the rockish/glammish theme of the 80s. The album opens with ‘Take me higher’, starts with a fast, steady drum beat and a short guitar solo joins in. They could have chosen a bit heavier track to start with, but they have it way better in their second track ‘Wanted Alive’. The amazing, perfect heavy intro that I was personally waiting for. The bass lines and drum beats complimented the vocals pretty well and, the outro… just wow, man! That guitar solo, and the drumline, faded out nicely.
‘Shark Lady’ is a definitly must-listen to track. I stopped reviewing just to go dance/headbang on it. ‘Tuff Life’ is just a hilarious song to listen to, the lyrics are fun and witty, and easy to memorize, just along that killer solo at the end. What is that?
My least favorite song of the whole album is a little towards the end ‘Pretender’, I would describe it as the black sheep of the album. It’s slow, and very average comparing to the rest of the tracks on this amazing album. The final track –‘Uranium’– though. Oh. My. God. I played it a few times just to have this awesomeness sunk in. Everything was perfect in this track; the intro, the outro, the guitar solo, the harmony between the vocal lines, and surprisingly, the vocalist sounds way way better. Epic ending.
Overall, the album is too awesome if you’re into the glam era. Give it a listen in the link below:
Written by: Sara Yousry ElShamy and NJ Bakr
Edited by: Nehal Ali
