A Different Kind of Ugly

The Sons of Hercules have garnered plenty of comparisons to the Stooges, New York Dolls, and Rolling Stones in their reviews. Jaded rock critics are apt to dismiss these as just so much hype, but in this case the comparisons happen to be true, even unavoidable. That in no way means this record is as significant as those of the Stooges or Dolls (let alone the Stones), only that the Sons of Hercules do incorporate traits from all of the above fairly adeptly. A group that draws upon multiple influences blatantly, of course, can in no way claim to be original. But hey, if you just love those groups in their early-'70s heydays and want something in the same vibe, you shouldn't let that stop you, though it's perhaps something better enjoyed in a low-cost club than on the home stereo system. It doesn't rank too high in the song-to-song variety department, true. But at least they know enough not to go too over the top with the self-conscious outrageousness factor, the songs chugging along without trying too hard, paced by coolly cocky vocals and fuzzy raw hard rock riffs.