Review JOHN DIVA & THE ROCKETS OF LOVE “Your Favorite Drug”

John Diva & The Rockets of Love are an interesting band. By now, it is hardly a secret that John Diva himself is more of a fictional character than a conventional frontman, and that is exactly what makes the whole concept so entertaining. The band has built an elaborate fictional story around its leader and the characters surrounding him. It is creative, deliberately over the top, and makes no secret of the fact that fun and entertainment are part of the package.

Of course, none of this would work if the music didn’t deliver. What these guys bring to the table is a revival of 1980s hair metal, and because they never take themselves entirely seriously, the whole operation has managed to find its audience. From the stage names to the visual presentation, the classic clichés are brought back to life and thrown straight onto the stage—and eventually onto the record. Releasing a live album called Live at Wacken early in their career was another clear sign that this band was never planning to follow the usual rulebook.

Behind all the hairspray, makeup, and carefully maintained clichés, however, John Diva & The Rockets of Love have some serious musical chops. They have already demonstrated that across three studio albums, and their latest release, Your Favorite Drug, continues that run. It is the band’s first release through Frontiers Music, with none other than Hannes Braun handling production. Braun, who is currently marking his departure from Kissin’ Dynamite with a series of high-energy live shows, brings a polished touch without sanding away the band’s retro attitude.

And while the hairspray is still firmly in place, John, Snake, Remmie, Marcus, and C.J. have plenty to offer musically as well. The driving opener, “The Devil’s Got My Back,” makes that clear right away. It kicks off the album with plenty of momentum and shows that the band still knows how to build a big melody without overcomplicating things. The song hooks you almost immediately and leaves you ready for the next round.

If there is a favorite drug running through this record, it is the sheer vitality of rock music itself. Whether the band will actually become “Bigger Than America” may be debatable. What isn’t in doubt is that these guys have no reason to hide behind their heroes on the Hollywood Boulevard.

Drums and a screaming guitar open the title track before the song gradually works its way into your subconscious. The band’s progression is easy to hear, because all ten tracks find a comfortable balance between muscle and melody. The lyrics aren’t exactly designed to solve the world’s biggest problems, and that is hardly the point. Songs like “Love Is Cold” and the pounding “Girls In Overdrive” are built for good times, loud speakers, and whatever party happens to be going on.

Despite their deep roots in the 1980s, John Diva & The Rockets of Love sound anything but dated. This is colorful, upbeat rock with enough punch to keep the retro formula moving forward. “Soundtrack Of My Life,” with its unmistakable Bon Jovi flavor, brings the album home with a suitably anthemic finish.

Your Favorite Drug doesn’t pretend to reinvent rock’n’roll. It doesn’t need to. John Diva & The Rockets of Love take the clichés, the costumes, the big hair, the bigger hooks, and the entire 80s rock fantasy, then crank the volume and have a damn good time with it.

And that’s the real trick: when the party is this much fun, nobody cares that the decade ended years ago.