There are some CD's that, within the first 10, 15, 20 seconds or so of the first track, you just know the whole damn disc is gonna rock. And that's what we've got with this ass-kickin' release from London rockers Dirty Deeds. Real World is chock full of rock, and it kicks your ass all over the place. Guaran-damn-teed.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Dirty Deeds, they toured across Europe and the U.S. in 1998 with Iron Maiden, Helloween, Dio, and UFO. They were supposed to tour Europe in early 2000 with Great White, but the GW tour has fallen through (these guys can't seem to catch a break!) They have a previous album out titled Danger Of Infection (which I haven't yet heard), and they seem to have a pretty big group of diehard fans in Europe and Japan. Their U.S. fan base is steadily growing - let's help that continue, American readers, so we can get the band back over here for some dates again!

The big key to the songs on Real World is the tight musicianship. From the rhythm guitar to the bass to the drums, to the vocals, and yes, to the lead guitar, these guys can PLAY. There are killer guitar hooks in nearly every song, thanks to lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Pete Franklin and lead guitarist Barry Fitzgibbon. The bass lines are always perfect in the way they dance around within the songs. Bassist Tony Newton is not one to just strum the bass. He will toss a slick little bass run wherever a song might need a little something, and man, does it work! Drummer Dave Cavill sounds like a maniac on the skins - I'd love to see him in action live!

The excellent production work is also evident. For Real World, Dirty Deeds tapped Iron Maiden sound engineer Doug Hall to produce the disc. It is Hall's debut as a studio engineer, and his expertise with live performances obviously helped him achieve the "in-your-face" sound of this album. It's a very balanced yet dynamic sound, with none of the parts getting drowned out. The vocals are clear over the top of the music. The guitar solos are turned up a bit so they aren't lost behind the percussion. The bass lines catch your ear at all the right times. Great work!

I guess I'd characterize the overall Dirty Deeds sound on this disc as Iron Maiden meets AC/DC. However, vocalist Pete Franklin's style is, for me, a bit reminiscent of Ted Bullett (Thunderhead, Saxon) minus a little bit of Ted's trademark growl. Also, there are little touches of Ozzy/Black Sabbath, especially in Fitzgibbon's guitar playing. Speaking of Fitzgibbon, he really knows how to make a solo "fit" the song. His solos never sound out of place, and he plays them with feeling.

From the hard-driving rockers like "Killing Time," "Kill The Pain," and "Welcome To The Real World" to the infectious metal-grooves of "Long Way Down," "Nightmare," "Hell on Earth" (Shredfest's Pick) and "Cyber Babe" to the beautiful ballad...er, well, there is no ballad, really (the closest thing is "Telepathy," but even that is a fairly hard n' heavy track)...Dirty Deeds' Real World NEVER STOPS ROCKIN'! And that's the bottom line! This is the stuff you crank in your car with the windows down so all the hip-hop punks can hear what real musical talent sounds like. Every metal and hard rock fan should own this disc. NO EXCUSES!

Reviewed by Shredfest


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