REVIEW: LJ Sleeze – ‘Dead Or Alive’

After more than four years on the underground punk scene, LJ Sleeze’s distinctive direction has certainly taken on a wildly diverse appeal in that time. Combining a mixture of 80s hardcore, 70s pub-rock, and 90s alt-rock to create his vivid aesthetic, the man behind the veneer has cemented himself as one of the more impactful we have come across in recent times. And with the buzz around him continuing to build, he keeps the vibes high once again as he drops his ferocious third studio album ‘Dead Or Alive’.

While clocking in at just 24 minutes long, ‘Dead Or Alive’ certainly looks to pack as much punch into its ten tracks as possible. With this adventurous approach to instrumentation that sees him invite a heady mix of saxophone and keyboards to his grizzled punk-rock sound from beginning to end, his newest endeavour feels far more inventive and ambitious than previous outings. Tracks like ‘Rock Bottom’ and its riveting title-track have this undeniable swagger to them, something that will no doubt go down a storm during his raucous live shows.

His tenure to date has certainly been a vibrant one to say the least, but ‘Dead Or Alive’ already feels like the start of a new and more exciting artist at the helm. Creating such an infectious appeal with almost every single track here, LJ Sleeze is bringing back classic punk for the modern audience with flair and gusto throughout.