Band:	The Day Street Brothel
Album:	The Good Girl You Were Before
Style:	Hard rock
Release date:	December 17, 2010
A review by:	Troy Killjoy

01. Hell Yeah!
02. For Eternity
03. Never Know Until We Try
04. Heavy Metal Show
05. I'm Alive (Because Of You)
06. I Don't
07. Gonna Make You Mine
08. Live Your Life
09. Rabbit King
10. I.D.F.L.Y
11. The Tortured Soul That Is I
12. Pressure Drop

Hard rock
Canada
Independent

Line-up on the CD:
Doug Smith - vocals, lead guitar
Jonathan Berry - rhythm guitar, vocals
Ryan Pugh - vocals, bass
Al Olner - drums


Local "talent" is usually just the opposite - most bands who sit around releasing countless albums without ever seeming to advance in their respective attempts at "making it big" are, more often than not, simply not worth the time of day. They get a cult following (as in, a few drunken friends paying a few bucks for what will eventually be nothing more than a beer coaster) and nobody in the world notices when they're forced to quit after years of worldwide neglect. What we have here, on the other hand, is a pretty talented group of hard rockers, primed and ready for commercial success.

But don't just take it from me. Rockstar Supernova vocalist Lukas Rossi credited Doug Smith's songwriting talents publicly, and some of the band's songs have been featured on various hard rock and heavy metal compilation albums, not to mention some hard-earned radio play on the local alternative station. The Day Street Brothel, for all intents and purposes, is a force in the community.

The Good Girl You Were Before is a nice mix of Black Label Society's aggression and the mid-paced heaviness of some of the world's biggest post-grunge acts, with some excellent soloing thrown in for good measure. While there aren't a slew of "anthems", the album contains some solid headbanging material and infectious groove, as if designed for blasting over a loudspeaker at full volume during a tailgate party hosted by the local motorcycle gang.

Doug Smith's raunchy vocal performance makes The Good Girl You Were Before a bit of a darker album than your average hard rock release, comparable to Seether mainman Shaun Morgan Welgemoed. The only problem with this package of badassery - chest-beating riffage and well-planned solos, pounding drums, gnarly vocals, hearty bass - is the overall lack of innovation. The Day Street Brothel are undoubtedly evolving, and their next release could prove to be a make it or break it opportunity.


Website: http://www.myspace.com/thedaystreetbrothel