Hollywood metal act Shotgun Messiah must have really been bored one day back in 1992 when they arrived at the idea to make this record. 'I Want More' is the single release of the track "I Want More" from their 1991 'Second Coming' disc with four bonus songs, which include three covers and a re-worked version of another track from 'Second Coming'. Why they decided to release this half-baked concoction between the solid heavy metal outpouring of their 'Second Coming' and 'Violent New Breed' albums is beyond me.

Sadly, Shotgun Messiah's renditions of Iggy Pop's "Search And Destroy" and The Ramones' "53rd and 3rd" are barely worth hearing. The attitude those tunes exude is completely lost on Shotgun Messiah. Instead Shotgun Messiah's take on these is bland and very unappealing. They also cover The New York Dolls' "Babylon" again, which is a mystery since they already covered that tune on 'Second Coming'. In this attempt to adhere to the original, they remove their metal styling, which loses the impact of this raucous punk classic thus creating another lifeless track.

Adding to this musical tripe is the re-worked Shotgun Messiah tune, "Nobody's Home", which is easily forgotten as they've turned it into a slowed down acoustic number that zaps all its energy. The original intensity is clearly missing and again I have to wonder what it was that possessed them to even bother releasing this CD. I can understand their intention in paying homage to some great punk rock outfits like The Ramones, The Dolls and Iggy Pop, but their vision appears rather misplaced.

Shotgun Messiah should have stuck to their in-your-face heavy metal style and either released new tracks or provided some live tracks if they were so determined to release "I Want More" as a single in 1992. But they didn't and now they have one throwaway CD in their back catalog. The song "I Want More" isn't even the strongest track off 'Second Coming' so this whole project seems ill-advised. This is the rare occasion where I'm glad there's not more tracks available because I can hardly tolerate these five.

The only redeeming factor here is that I picked up my copy used for $4 but I don't even think it's worth that much. Shotgun Messiah fans may want this one to complete their collections but don't be surprised if you're as disappointed as I was when I first heard it. General heavy metal fans should definitely stay clear of this one. Instead, look for Shotgun Messiah's "Violent New Breed", which is the best effort this band had to offer in their short career.

Track Listing:
1. I Want More
2. Search And Destroy
3. 53rd and 3rd
4. Babylon
5. Nobody's Home



Recommended: No