by Ed Rivadavia
Rhino Bucket's novelty value stemmed from the fact that the group was not a novelty, but rather a band capable of replicating the sound and feel of classic AC/DC with eerie and chilling accuracy. And, as is often the case with so-called novelties, the band's debut album received much attention (both positive and negative, but attention nonetheless), while the second, like many jokes told twice, simply vanished without a trace. Given such prospects, most bands would have packed it in at this point, but Rhino Bucket not only decided to give it another shot, the group actually returned with an ace in the hole by adding former AC/DC drummer Simon Wright to the ranks for 1994's Pain. Yes, as the title suggests, they're bitter (as you'd expect), and no, getting Wright in the band didn't help record sales any. But at least it boosted the band's confidence and the result is a solid album, with its fair share of quality (if wholly unoriginal) blue-collar hard rock. Of course, singer Georg Dolivo's nearly flawless Bon Scott karaoke will either draw you right in or scare you the hell off but, for what it's worth, fans of early AC/DC might get a good chuckle from standout tracks like "Blow by Blow," "Mad Maggie," and "Bird on a Wire."