Love/Hate came onto the scene at the tail end of the 80s hard rock/glam scene, releasing two albums in the early 1990s: BLACKOUT IN THE RED ROOM, and WASTED IN AMERICA. Both albums were fantastic, beautifully combining the sounds and themes of the glam rock of the day with more contemporary sounds that borderlined on alternative rock. But despite the group’s best efforts, they never got the credit they deserved. Despite that, that pair of albums is widely revered by many headbangers around the globe.
When music trends in the world began changing in the early 1990s, Love/Hate was largely left by the wayside, but not before frontman Jizzy Pearl’s infamous stunt where he crucified himself on the Hollywood Sign! In the years that followed, Mr. Pearl has built quite the resume, including stints with LA Guns, Ratt, ex-Guns N Roses drummer Steven Adler, and even two tours of duty with Quiet Riot, with whom he currently sings. He’s also continued to release new music under the name “Jizzy Pearl’s Love/Hate.” PUNK ROCK FIESTA! is his latest album since 2022’s HELL, CA. According to the press releases, this is his “seventh solo album,” though I must confess that I don’t exactly know what the difference between a Love/Hate album, a Jizzy Pearl solo album, and a “Jizzy Pearl’s Love/Hate” album is. Honestly, I’m just happy to get new music from the guy. I don’t care what name it’s under!
For this album, Mr. Pearl has a band that includes guitarist Darren Housholder, bassist Christian Kimmett, and drummer Dave Moreno. And right from the get-go, one thing that quickly becomes apparent is that your old pal Jizzo sounds just like he did back in 1990. He’s always had a gritty, rough singing style that suits his material and whatever band he’s with well, and these new tracks thankfully prove to be no exception. The sheer rawness of PUNK ROCK FIESTA! proves to be its greatest asset, with high-energy tunes that showcase what makes this man a criminally underrated frontman. But Jizzy and company aren’t afraid to branch out a bit as well; a melodic gloomy tune like “Can’t Be Wrong,” for example, wouldn’t have been out of place on 90s alternative rock radio. With only eight songs, none of which exceed the five-minute mark, PUNK ROCK FIESTA! feels more like an EP than a full-on album, but I’d rather get a short release that’s all killer and no filler than an LP that drones on endlessly with redundant tracks. The ex-LA Guns frontman (note that the song “Over the Edge” is NOT a cover of the LA Guns song!) is in fine form here, never shooting blanks.
Whenever Jizzy comes, you know there’s going to be some damn good rock and roll. PUNK ROCK FIESTA! is unabashedly raw and dirty, but is that such a bad thing? Long-time fans of Jizzo will be genuinely pleased with what they hear on his newest release.
Very highly recommended!