Steel Panther, 'Balls Out' -- Album Review

Steel Panther released Balls Out earlier this month. This new album is classic Panther: ridiculous lyrics and great melodies. The thing about Balls Out is that the lyrics are not as good as the songs on Feel the Steel but the music is far, far superior.

Balls Out features 14 tracks, but one of those is a throw-a-way intro. My favorite songs are "Just Like Tiger Woods," "17 Girls in a Row," and "If You Really Really Love Me." That last track there is a soulful power ballad. Okay, not really!

There is absolutely nothing original about Balls Out and I think the guys in Steel Panther are fine with that. The songs on Balls Out all pretty much sound like our favorites: Def Leppard ("If You Really Really Love Me"), Motley Crue ("I Like Drugs," "Tomorrow Night") and Van Halen ("Just Like Tiger Woods"). If the lyrics were gone and just the music left, I doubt anyone could tell if the songs were recorded in 1986 or 2011 -- and that is a good thing!

I can't help but wonder "what if" with Steel Panther, though. I listen to the band's albums and laugh but always wonder what it would be like to hear the band do a song straight-up, no jokes. Could Steel Panther pull it off? Probably. But clearly money is an issue, and the Steel Panther formula is working. Do yourself a favor and pick up Balls Out. Life is short. Laugh it up.