Metal Hammer

August ’01

GOO GOO DOLLS
Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce
(Hollywood/Third Rail Records]

APPETITE freshly whetted by artwork that would look at home on a NIN album, imagine the disappointment when I played the damn record!

There's a valuable lesson about books (or CDs) and their covers in here somewhere. This isn't industrial. Or punk, hardcore, ska, Oi!, or even (heaven forefend) Emo. What it IS, is largely very dull, gutless, (mostly) acoustic rock. Which is fine if you like that sort of thing (you have the right to listen to shit after all), but I don't. It's all very grown up, sensible, tuneful and probably touching too if you like Bon Jovi or some other equally dreadful soppy crap.

This sort of thing is far more likely to inspire people to destructive rampages than Marilyn Manson ever will, through sheer boredom alone! It's more like self abuse than music - it gets faster, but it's still wank.

Andy Lapham [2/10]