by James Chrispell
From the get-go of &Lit Up& right on through to &Drink the Water,& Buckcherry doesn't let up on their self-titled disc -- it's like a blast of fresh air clearing out a stale room. Buckcherry returns to the raucous edge of rock while avoiding the pitfalls of veering headlong into metal land. Melodic and concise, these guys keep your attention much like Guns N' Roses did on their first disc. Helped out by Terry Date and ex-Sex Pistol Steve Jones in the production department, Buckcherry is quite a stunning debut. (And say, could Buckcherry be an anagram for that pioneer of rock & roll Chuck Berry?)