Meat Loaf - Hell In A Handbasket
Artist: Meat Loaf
Album: Hell In A Handbasket
Label: Sony Music
Out Now
Rating: 3/5
Meat Loaf has enjoyed a career that has spanned over forty years but his new record Hell In A Handbasket is his most personal record yet.
Yes for the first time we are getting the emotions and opinions of music icon as opposed to singing through character as he has done on previous albums.
There is a real experimental feel to this new album as he tries new styles; it’s perhaps less rock and roll than the albums that have gone before.
With songs of Mad Mad World and Stand In The Storm Meat is singing about struggle and difficulties facing society today.
But Hell In A Handbasket is not a political record in any way shape of form Meat is simply revealing his thoughts and feelings.
There is also a great cover of California Dreamin’ on the album he has really slowed the song down, compared to the Mamas & Papas version, and he has made this song really his own.
There are also great vocals from Patti Russo on the track and this is best vocal performance from Meat on the entire album.
There are also some great contributions from Chuck D, Trace Adkins and Lil Jon on Mad Mad World and Stand In The Storm
This is a solid record from Meat but apart from some great guitar work in Live Or Die there is not real stand out moment on this album - however it is a good listen.
The songs just lack that panache and punch of his best known records - but it is great to see him tackling new styles and sounds.
I don’t dislike Hell In A Handbasket, in fact I like the honesty with which Meat sings and it’s great to see him really reveal what he thinks and feels.
Hell In A Handbasket fits nicely into Meat’s back catalogue but it is not up with with some of his most popular records.
Meat Loaf’s album Hell In A Handbasket is out now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Meat Loaf