Band:	Lita Ford
Album:	Wicked Wonderland
Style:	Hard rock
Release date:	October 06, 2009
Guest review by:	Opan

01. Crave
02. Piece (Hell Yeah)
03. Patriotic S.O.B.
04. Scream 4 Me
05. Inside
06. Wicked Wonderland
07. Indulge
08. Love
09. Betrayal
10. Sacred
11. Truth
12. Everything [Only On CD]
13. Bed [Only On CD]
14. Garden [Only On CD] [bonus]
15. Push [Only On CD] [bonus]

For fans of Lita Ford in her heyday, Wicked Wonderland will likely leave much to be desired. Yes, there's the trademark riff work and sleazy lyrics, but the rock element is too often overshadowed by the computerized effects. The addition of Gillette was an interesting choice on Lita Ford's part, and it works for about half of the material. By the end, however, you might be left wishing that the album could include at least one bluesy rock song (not including ballads) that isn't saturated by production techniques.

Being familiar with Lita Ford's past work, you can't knock the woman for dishing out another helping of sex. After all, it's exactly that type of content that helped make Lita the queen of metal in the first place. At 51 years of age, it might be time to for a change, but she's in a position where she might feel the need to give the fans what they want and expect. If we don't have her past songs as references, songs like "Piece (Hell Yeah)" can seem a bit, well, ridiculous. And yet, fans have likely wanted Lita Ford to resurrect the image and persona from the 1980's, which makes those over-the-top lyrics oddly a wise, strategic move.

She is essentially trying to pick up where she left off, and in many ways she does accomplish this goal. Her attempt to modernize the sound with various effects is a bit excessive at times, and her husband's frequent appearances on the album are not always necessary. When she breaks out into solos like the outro in "Bed" or delivers a grooving riff in "Push", you're reminded that this is indeed a woman who deserves a place in metal. Her comeback album will not likely earn rave reviews from critics or unbiased fans, but Wicked Wonderland does have its moments. This is an album that should be taken for what it is, which is essentially sleazy fun.