Max Cady

Max Cady is a rock band. It's not punk, glam or emo. There are no prefixes here. It's just rock and roll. It takes the standard rock format--one singer, two guitarists, one bass player and one drummer--and makes the kind of straightforward music that, these days, would be considered a revival. But that's not to say it's uninspired. When everybody's gotta have a gimmick, it's refreshing when a band does it the old-fashioned way, meaning the way of AC/DC, Cheap Trick and KISS. Max Cady's live shows are energetic and intense, with ripping guitar solos, screaming vocals and rock posturing--singer/guitarist Justin Moore standing hips forward, shoulders hunched, hair over his face as his fingers run up and down the guitar neck furiously. On Tonight Alive, the debut record for the Dallas quartet (which also includes guitarist Jeff Biehler, bassist Pablo Xiques and drummer Rob Grijalva), they're a little toned down, the energy depleted. But, for once, every lyric can be heard. They're abstract and repetitive with choruses made up of short phrases to be yelled while the rest of the band emphasizes with stops and starts. Tonight Aliveis not a diverse record; it's all rawk. But who wants another "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" anyway?