Band:	Crashdïet
Album:	Generation Wild
Style:	Glam metal
Release date:	April 14, 2010
Guest review by:	omne metallum

01. 442
02. Armageddon
03. So Alive
04. Generation Wild
05. Rebel
06. Save Her
07. Down With The Dust
08. Native Nature
09. Chemical
10. Bound To Fall
11. Beautiful Pain
12. One Of A Kind [bonus]
13. Fear Control [bonus]

One of the prominent bands at the forefront of the Scandinavian glam metal scene, Crashdïet's third album Generation Wild is evidence of how and why they got to be in this position. The band's brand of hard-hitting rock born from glam metal is both heavy and melodic, and should appeal to casual fans of the genre and hardcore fans alike. Generation Wild is an album that pushes itself into your view and won't leave until it's finished.

Crashdïet would welcome Simon Cruz to the band on this album, taking over vocal duties and making it a spot he would come to own until his later departure. With Cruz behind the microphone the band had a vocalist that matched the quality of the material that would come to make Generation Wild. From start to finish this is an album that could rival the bigger names of the hey-day of the glam metal scene in the 80's; with tracks like "Armageddon" showing glam didn't die once Nirvana hit the scene.

"Save Her" is the power ballad that isn't, managing to be close enough to a ballad without all the baggage that the tag entails. Dropping the tempo and intensity but never coming over too sappy or faux emotional, it is a power ballad for those fans who normally skip the obligatory addition to other albums. "Native Nature" is a juggernaut of a track, showing why this album is metal rather than rock, with lumbering guitars up front and in your face with the drum and bass giving off a thunderous low end.

The guitar work, while not ground breaking, is catchy and punchy, with songs like "Rebel" and "Bound To Fall" getting your blood pumping and leading to a chorus that will get you singing along. The drum and bass hold down the rhythm section well and serve as a solid foundation for the album, pushing some songs like "Native Nature" that extra bit further.

Where does the album become generation mild? The sequencing of this album makes for a start-stop experience that disrupts the flow of the album. The run of "Save Her" through "Native Nature" is one that could have been flipped around as you find yourself unable to settle into a niche while bopping along. Ending on "Beautiful Pain" was also a strange choice; rather than one last kick up the ass, the album ends on a slower number that ends the album on a somewhat lower note than you would expect.

Generation Wild shows it is an album that has purpose and can be used in court* as evidence against anyone claiming glam metal is a dead genre. Even if you're not a fan of the genre, it would be worth a listen if you are a fan of rock.

*Judge Judy's maybe, she must be running low on new cases.