STINGER – Colourblind
- Posted on 18-08-2019
Stinger, which is an outfit hailing from Germany dabbles in loud and bluesy hard rock with a thick and groovy vibe to it, and in many ways, it sounds like the missing link between AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, early Status Quo, and Accept. The songs are instantly catchy due to the testosterone-filled riffs and the rhythm section provides bombast and a sense of attitude and swing to the tunes. Vocalist Martin Schaffrath sounds as if he just walked out of a bar at 5 AM following a long night consisting of cigarettes and hard liquor, and the lyrics are suitably cliched for this boogie-woogie type of raw rock music. Sex, drinks, good times, fighting for a good cause or simply one’s own survival, and filthy rock ‘n’ roll – that is primarily it, really. One of the songs is entitled "Stick It In" and it is exactly what you think it is (and it is pretty fucking lame too). The voice is solid and gets the job done, but it lacks charisma and identity. Having said that, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the musicianship in general and you can tell that these dudes know their way around an instrument.
"Colourblind" is an entertaining and well-played slab of hard rock, and it is impossible not to kind of nod your head in approval when listening to cuts such as "Smile" and "Suicide", but it is a tad too close to the aforementioned bands such as AC/DC and Rose Tattoo to warrant repeated listens, which is to say that when you find yourself in the mood for some uplifting music, chances are that you will dig out an LP or a CD from your collection other than this one as there are better and more exciting alternatives out there. In short, Stinger are a competent bunch of musicians and you could do worse than putting this record on if you are sitting outside on the porch, drinking beer and having a barbecue with your friends but ultimately, it is too derivative and faceless to really stand out among similar bands.