This Week's Forgotten Gem of the '80s - Kix's "Blow My Fuse"

By 1988, much of the raw energy and menace had been airbrushed away from American hard rock, as slick production and a preponderance of power ballads had made hair metal a huge if somewhat soulless commodity. Luckily, Baltimore's Kix strode in with Blow My Fuse, a solid album of greasy, grimy hard rock that reached back successfully into the roots of such music, channeling AC/DC and early Def Leppard with aplomb. In fact, lead singer Steve Whiteman sometimes sounds like a careening, hyper version of Joe Elliott on the album's superb title track, which must have made longtime Def Leppard fans pine for the days before Mutt Lange sanded down all the edges of that great glam rock-influenced melodic metal band. Still, what really secured a niche for Kix was its status as officially licensed '80s riff masters, as one listen to this crunchy rock tune will certainly remind you. Unfortunately, the band's only hit was, unsurprisingly, the power ballad "Don't Close Your Eyes", but true hard rock fans recognize Kix's bread and butter when they hear it.

• Sample or download "Blow My Fuse" here.
• Compare prices on Kix CDs here.
• Kix Official Website
• Top 10 Hair Metal Ballads of the '80s

Album Cover Image Courtesy of East/West Records