There was no more unlikely success story over the past couple of years than the resurgence of Buckcherry. After realizing success with their 1999 self-titled debut, their 2001 effort Time Bomb bombed, and the band decided to break up. After flirting with Slash and company in an early incarnation of Velvet Revolver, singer Josh Todd and guitarist Keith Nelson decided to reform Buckcherry with new members.

Two and a half years ago, they released 15, which spawned two monstrous singles (Crazy B*tch and Sorry, the latter of which spent a few weeks in the top 10 of the Hot 100 chart this summer). After playing 300 shows in support of 15, they decided to strike again while the iron was hot, and this week released Black Butterfly.

For those who have listened to the band's catalog, Black Butterfly will not come as a huge surprise. It's a mix of barn storming rockers, heartfelt and soulful ballads, and a lot of attitude and swagger.

Sadly, the first single Too Drunk..., has come to represent the type of band this is. Musically, that's not entirely unfair, as it does have a swinging, groove-heavy riff that is enjoyable. However, lyrically, the song reveals an attempt by the band to appeal to the lowest common denominator of fan. Of course, when the full title may as well be Too Drunk to F*ck, you should know what you're in for.

Thankfully, the band keeps the stupidity to a minimum. They continue their tradition of writing standout ballads, with no less than 3 excellent ones here. Dreams mixes ethereal guitar chords and melodies with a classic power ballad chorus. Josh Todd, who used to sound questionably sincere at best, has come a long way, and his voice soars here. Don't Go Away is at best a sequel to Sorry, and at worst, a rewrite. But it sounds sincere and Nelson's guitar playing has some soul to it.

The standout ballad here though is without a doubt All Of Me, which strips the band down to the bare minimum, and it's here where you realize how nice of a voice Todd can have. Yes, it is a bit nasally, which might grind on people, but this dude can flat out belt, which is more than I can say for most rock singers these days (I'm looking at you Chad Kroeger and Brad Arnold).

The band's upbeat rockers have always had a tendency to sound alike, and it's no different here. Fallout sounds like a re-write of a track from Time Bomb, and songs like Rescue Me and Tired of You don't offer much of anything new. But for some reason, I'm still drawn to them. Maybe it's the no nonsense rock attitude behind them, but I truly enjoy those songs. A Child Called 'It' is a welcome change of pace, a song that references the direction the band took on the Time Bomb record, but manages to sound fresh.

Perhaps the most surprising song on the record is Rose, a mid tempo pop rock song with a bit of southern and country flair.

If you've never liked Buckcherry, I doubt Black Butterfly will change that. But the more I listen to this record, the more I really like it. Even the songs I feel are average I don't find myself skipping. And outside of the ridiculous and stupid Too Drunk, I don't find any of these songs to be below average.

Some bands are good at a couple of things and nothing else, and there's not necessarily anything wrong with that. Buckcherry is one of those bands, and right now, they're a lot better at what they do than most of their contemporaries.