Pink Cream 69
Pink Cream 69

THE REVIEW

And here we are with the Pink Cream 69. I don't know if back in the day, when they were born, there were any problems with the band's name (with its vaaaague, but really vague, sexual reference!), but that's not what really matters in the end (the important thing is that we like the chicks!).

As most of you know, Pink Cream 69 are mostly known for being just the "Ex" band of Andi Deris, who now sings in Halloween. I must admit, I breathed a sigh of relief when he left this group (even though he produced some of their best works with them), because, let's be honest, as a singer, he continues to be pitiful to me!!!

Born, if I'm not mistaken, thanks to a contest organized by Kerrang, an English magazine initially dedicated to metal that later became trendy, Pink Cream 69 formed in 1987-88, but their first self-titled album arrived in 1989. The band consisted of Andi Deris (vocals), the U.S.-born leader Dennis Ward (bass), who has now also become a great producer, the German Alfred Koffler (guitar), and the Greek Kosta Zafiriou (drums). Their sound was wrongly placed among street metal, although honestly, it is a German-style street metal, i.e., a fusion between typically American hard rock and German power metal like Gamma Ray: thus, a very, very interesting offering! However, their debut album is rather raw, even though it contains some decidedly beautiful songs for that period.

Shotgun and pistol shots worthy of the best western featuring Bud Spencer open the very tight "Take Those Tears": impeccable rhythmic section and precise technique, which only a doich can do, good guitar solos, choruses at the right point, but the ruin is Deris' always forced voice! May God (and Debaser) strike him down! "Sugar For Love" is decidedly more measured, and this time Deris seems to be singing! As a song, it's not bad, especially for the break in the middle of the song, and it's one of the best on this album. Slightly subdued, however, is "Rolling Down A Thunder", which, despite a good bass/drum intro, sounds rather anonymous. "One Step Into Paradise", from which a video was also made, is one of the most beautiful songs on the album and indeed will outline the band's future coordinates: that is, very set and measured riffs that then flow into almost power, not to mention the choruses, which have always been apt and never out of place! Then comes the mandatory ballad namely "Close Your Eyes": as a ballad, to be honest, it's not that great at all... in fact, it's never conveyed anything good to me and it's quite forgettable. A good highlight instead is "Welcome The Night", always a fixture in live shows, where the band has always given their best, playing just like on record (they are really German, there's nothing you can do even if not all the members are!). The song finally presents a pinch of truly good melody right at the start and then bursts into an excellent hard rock done with balls and sweat.

The track "Partymaker" is very driven, quite a banal song in my opinion, which doesn't enjoy a good structure, but it shows how the band, when they need to hit the pedal, know their stuff! Also, "Hit The Bottom Row" is another peak of the album: Koffler's cadenced riffs (far too underrated as a guitarist), perfectly crafted choruses, not to mention the rest of the rhythm section, composed of Ward and Zafiriou, who integrate greatly with their support on bass and drums, respectively. "Parasite" is rather ugly as a song, and in my opinion, the lyrics are stupid (considering there's a fly buzzing around during the song! Meh...). Much better is the finale dedicated to the melodic "I Only Wanna Be For You", an excellent song enriched by keyboards and well-crafted choruses. In the CD version, you can find some bonus tracks, but they are quite useless. I'll just write the titles, but I don't want to consider them part of the album, otherwise, I'd have to give a one for how bad they are: "Child Of Sorrows", "World Of Promises", and "Shadows Are Falling".

Overall, the first self-titled album by Pink Cream 69 isn't bad, but it features rather immature songwriting and a not particularly good production even for that time. However, at some points, it will show what Pink Cream 69 will become. It's also true that I praised quite a few songs from the album, but it doesn't deserve a 4, only a 3 because I have to subtract a point for Deris' voice, sorry! Things will be better anyway with "One Size Fits All".