It's been four long years since Aerosmith released their 'Nine Lives' opus on to an unsuspecting public, that slowly sold by the proverbial truck-load. And least we forget it was only two years ago that Aerosmith had the biggest selling single worldwide with their 'Don't wanna Miss a Thing' single, and in all honesty the Aerosmith money-making machine has been selling this many records on the fact that 1994's 'Get a Grip' and the aforementioned 'Nine Lives' were both outstanding lessons in how to right great pop-rock songs. Which doesn't explain why Aerosmith have released one of the dullest, uncharacteristic and just plain boring records in recent memory.

 From the second 'Beyond Beautiful' rears it's predictible head, it is obvious that something seems to be amiss with the Toxic Twins. There is just no major hook-line that is going to eat you up and swallow you whole as there have been on recent Aerosmith efforts and even the Joe Pery knack for writing some of the finest guitar pieces ever heard seems to be absent. It just seems as though the band are happy to write a few obvious hit singles and fill in the rest in a lethargic, clumsy manner which, for a band putting out there first LP for four years is completely unacceptable. True, first single 'Jaded' was as good a single as the band have recorded in recent years and 'Luv Lies' is another gorgeous string-ladden ballad waiting to be unleashed and help this album sell as many as it's predecessors but to say the rest of the album was a tad forgettable would be like saying that O.J. Simpson might have been a tad guilty. From one listen to the yawn worthy 'Just Push Play' to the ballad-by-numbers 'Fly Away From Here' it is impossible to think this band are one of the greatest rock 'n' roll bands to ever walk the Earth. And the less said about their nu-metal esque 'Outta Your Head' the better, listening to Steven Tyler try to rap is like watching your pissed-as-a-fart Dad try to breakdance at a family wedding.



    This will be an album I'm sure the Aerosmith guys will want to be forgetting very quickly and while you might want to 'Just Push Play' but you'll only be reaching for the stop button five minutes later.