American Hitmen
EP
Self-Released
Street: 09.01
American Hitmen = 3 Doors Down + Danzig + Deftones
Mostly loud, raucous and at least a little dark, I’d say American Hitmen would be considered a somewhat modernized offspring of 1980s era metal/thrasher tunes. Not so much like the metal creations who have done away with melody and music altogether—the “roll” in “rock n’ roll,” if you will. This EP seems to pay homage to some of the original interpretations of the genre, aligning more with Alice Cooper and Def Leppard stylings. Personally, I prefer the roll in my rock n’ roll, so I do appreciate the fact that the vocals carry a tune and some of the songs lean on the light side. On top of that, when the lyrics and music do lean heavy, you can know that it’s coming from a very real place. These guys are US Marines, and they formed the band on the battlefield in Iraq during some of the bloodiest fighting to date, Operation Phantom Fury. Alive and inspired, they returned home safely and wasted no time in pursuing their dreams—a much preferred way of dealing with PTSD. Rock it out!c