Italy really does seem to be a hotbed for rock at the moment, and every single style at that. Hailing from Piacenza, HOUSTON! are back with their second album 'Mechanical Sunshine'.

So what are we getting for our lira? (or should that be Euro?) Gothic electronic rock with under currents of sleaze pretty much sums it up. Think Sixx AM and Sisters Of Mercy coupled with a little Shinedown and maybe even a splash of Dream Theater.
 

Third track 'Anghell Clown' is a prime example - think Faster Pussycat when Taime first brought his Newlydead influence into the band - it is undoubtedly gothic electro but has that sleazy rock feel that if you took away the electro beats and turned up the guitars, it would seamlessly transform into a sleazy glam anthem.

Lead Vocalist Niko Savinelli can actually sing unlike a lot of goth bands where they seem to rely on the electro effects and 'Doomy' layered vocals and throughout the album you can hear the thought and professional finish that it adds to the finished product. 'Generation '09' is verging on Manson territory (when he was good) and 'Truth About Me' and 'Cold' are both AOR tracks that have simply had the goth treatment splattered on them and they both work despite being two totally different sounds.

'Shine Of The Rusty Gear' (c'mon, you telling me that's not an metaphor?!) and 'Sick, Sex, Six' were always going to grab my attention with those titles and it's the latter that's a full blown HCSS style song that once again proves that there's obviously a sleazy glam fan amongst the band somewhere. 'My Swedish Baby Looks Like A Star' is another great title that sounds exactly as a song with that title should. Add a Rob Zombie track in 'Dragula' and you've got the essence of where this band are coming from.

This whole disc portrays a wide array of influences and styles, yet HOUSTON! have pulled them all together to form a surprisingly listenable album that non-goths, glam heads and the more traditional black eyed amongst us can enjoy.

www.houston-rock.com