Wig Wam - Non Stop Rock 'n' Roll

7,5 / 10  An entertaining album that takes you back to the 80's
Calling out to all you glam metal fans and middle aged groupies, whether out of the closet or still a secret lover, it is time to break out the big hair, the makeup and the flashy and flamboyant costumes; because Norway’s Wig Wam are back with a new album to send you back to the 80’s and all it’s mysterious and peculiar glam metal wonders.

Wig Wam was conceived in 2001 and is a hard rock band who has dedicated their sound to be reminiscent, if not exactly like the glam metal movement of the 1980’s. We all know these glam metal bands of the 80’s – Warrant, Def Leppard, Stryper, Poison, Cinderella, Motley Crue, Van Halen ... the list goes on, so if any of those great bands gave you goose bumps back in the day then Wig Wam is just the band for you.

“Non Stop Rock ‘n’ Roll” is Wig Wam’s fourth studio album, after releases in 2006, ’05 and ’04 and a live album (recorded in Japan) released in 2007. Now, going by their outrageous 80’s costumes, makeup and feminine poses in numerous band photos, you kind of wonder whether their personas are to be tongue-in-cheek, especially with the stage names these guys have given themselves – Teeny, Glam, Flash and Sporty (an obvious Spice Girls influence I am sure). But that is a discussion for another day, but right now it is onto the music at hand.

The glam sound on “Non Stop Rock ‘n’ Roll” is purely what you’d expect to hear from any of the glam rock/metal bands that graced us in the 80’s, except that the guitars are tuned somewhat lower in some of the songs; sounding similar but not exact to a gothic rock tuned level, however still capturing that 80’s guitar riff essence that sent both men and women wild in the day.

Feel good rockin’ tracks like the lively “Wild One” and the cliché “Come On Everybody” are sure to bring back memories from the past, while the required songs about love and women are also present on the album. Enter typical 80’s sleazy tracks such as the catchy “All You Wanted” and the dripping “Do Ya Wanna Taste It” for good measure. These are both great tracks and definite highlights on the CD. And of course we have the straight up rock ‘n’ roll tracks with guitar wankery galore, with tracks like the thunderous “Non Stop Rock ‘n’ Roll” and the bonus track “Gotta Get It On”. But where are the ballads you ask? Never fear as Wig Wam covers the lot on this album, with two soul touching ballads “From Here” and “Man In The Moon”.

Wig Wam may not replace your favourite glam metal bands that actually existed in the 80’s, and nor should it, but this album and their previous three are great alternatives to those famous 80’s trendsetters. Pouring everything that was great about 80’s glam metal into their albums, but with a non-serious approach, ‘Non Stop Rock ‘n’ Roll’ is a highly enjoyable, creative and nostalgic style album that you can always escape to anytime you are needing an 80’s glam fix.

Review by Sean Dudley, The Metal Forge 08.01.2010
www.themetalforge.com