You might have seen Cheerleader supporting Warrior Soul on their recent UK tour; if so, you'll already know what to expect from this new band out of Stockholm, Sweden.

Formed in late 2009 when former Supragod six-stringer Joan Vieru joined forces with brothers Joel (vocals, bass) and Niklas (guitar) Ek and drummer Andreas Westerlund, and originally calling themselves 'The Sh!t', the band settled on the Cheerleader moniker and recorded this debut album in the Spring of 2011.

Warrior Soul guitarist, and a former Supragod bandmate of Vieru's, Rille Lundell passed a copy of 'Vegas Or Bust' to Kory Clarke who, suitably impressed, offered the young band the chance to tour Great British shores with his legendary band. You can see why too, as Cheerleader sound at their best on the tunes where they let their angst burst out of the speakers, unshackled. 'Arrange', 'Serving Sam (Break It Down)' and 'Generation Shit!' fit this bill nicely, dripping attitude and stamping a little (anti) authority onto the record. The band don't always stride up this anarchic avenue though; generally, Cheerleader offer up a no-frills, straight ahead brand of rock 'n' roll that still shines, but rarely dazzles.

The fact that a young band out of Sweden are actually prepared to do the no-frills thing is, in itself, impressive; so many Swedish bands, so much time wasted on identikit glam/sleaze cheese - Cheerleader have broken the mould and for that I salute them. Album opener 'My Love To Someone Else' is the ultimate example of this - a soaring, melody-afflicted gem of a track that, given the right exposure, will point many keen-eared music fans in the band's direction. While there are a clutch of songs here that will kind of pass the listener by without really troubling the brain or flicking the cool switch, there are a select number of ass-kickers that will do exactly the opposite, album closer 'Wherever You May Be', with its nod to The Hellacopters and Backyard Babies, the best of the bunch.

'Vegas Or Bust' is smeared in a little too much familiarity to really break out but, with its big riffs and bigger hooks, contains enough high-end quality to ensure that the band are not only worth checking out but also ones to watch in the future.

www.cheerleaderofficial.com