Band:	Crooked X
Album:	Crooked X
Style:	Hard rock
Website:	http://crookedx.com/
Release date:	January 2009

01. Gone
02. Adrenaline
03. Time Is Now
04. Rock And Roll Dream
05. Fade
06. Bleed
07. Nail In The Coffin
08. Nightmare
09. Death Of Me
10. Lost Control

A couple of months ago I gave Crooked X's promo a spin and I must say, the band didn't sound too bad at all. Those of you who are oblivious to the matter, Crooked X are an Oklahoma based hard rock act, comprising of four fourteen year old's. And while I usually just fake interest and cringe at such ultra-young bands, assuring them "that they will totally make it as a serious band some day", then these guys are a bit of an exception.

Granted, the album is far from being original - I guess one might recognize the influences of a bunch of bands in their music, with some riffs being nothing shy of blatant copies. So far I've personally jotted down AC/DC, Kiss, and to a lesser extent, Down and Godsmack. What I can say for sure is that Crooked X's music is highly radio-friendly and does not come entirely without a slight nu-metal undercurrent. Neither are their songs particularly complex. All this will throw off the metal puritans, but then again, Crooked X are not really a metal band per se. Still, people who enjoy a good old hard rock sound might find the band's debut a really cool soundtrack for a drunken beach party. While the album is relatively simplistic, some tracks do stand out, if only for their sheer coolness, such as "Rock And Roll Dream", "Gone", "Bleed" and "Adrenaline". It must also be said that the band deliver real well, the vocalist earning extra points for good performance and excellent range. If the band is not prematurely destroyed by the maelstrom that is the rock'n'roll lifestyle, they might just make it as a serious hard rock group with a decent following one day.

Crooked X is one of those bands that truly make me want to see them live. The album, while flawed in some ways, possesses a great rebellious vibe that is all too difficult to capture for a lot of bands. And perhaps more importantly, it sends out a signal that the music we've grown to love is still alive and kicking. This debut is a reassuring statement by the newest rock generation.