You Send Me Things, I Listen to Them: HIGH HEELER

December 4, 2015

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G’day mate! Throw another shrimp on the barbie as we take a listen to a hair metal band from the land down under: Vienna, Austria!

What would you say if I told you there’s a band that’s been hard at work for the last 15 years playing original tunes that sound like throwback glam rock/hair metal with all the period-accurate costumes and makeup? No, I’m not talking about B-Dubs fan-favorites Steel Panther. I’m talkin’ bout High Heeler, homey.

Unlike Steel Panther’s forced, unfunny schtick, High Heeler are the real deal. Their debut album Force and Finesse is not delivered with a knowing “aren’t we OUTRAGEOUS for playing this kind of music and also here’s a million lyrics about sluts and fags” wink. No, High Heeler is just four dudes playing the shit out of some hair metal because that’s what they dig. PLUS, High Heeler features a drummer named Dynamike. DYNAMIKE. If you don’t think that’s the tightest shit, you can get the fuck outta my face.

From L-R: CC Stiletto, Poison Poser, DYNAMIKE, Andee Overtone

Let’s get right to brass tacks: High Heeler isn’t “good” in any traditional sense of the word. The recordings can best be described as lo-fi, and the vocals are pretty dang rough. My co-editor Dubya even told me, “Joe, this is terrible.” But there is something completely captivating about this band. I’ve listened to the single “Midnight Angel” roughly twenty times since getting this record in my inbox.

It took High Heeler fifteen years to put out this debut record, and I’m damn glad they did. It’s fun, it’s rockin’, and the guitar riffs are undeniably catchy. According to the band, “The album showcases High Heeler’s inherent qualities: powerful riffs, twin guitar mastery and lyrical themes of love, passion, and escaping the daily grind.” Goddamn right. With Force and Finesse, everybody’s workin’ for the weekend. As my esteemed other co-editor Masterlord said, “This fucking rocks Joe. In the worst and the best way.”