Metal Underground.com

Small Stone Records is a heavy rock label out of Detroit, probably most notable for having once signed The Misfits. With a focus on stoner and southern rock, the decision to release an Aerosmith tribute album may seem strange. But this two-disc set that includes 27 of Aerosmith’s classic releases (fans of 90’s Aerosmith tunes will have to look elsewhere for covers), "Right In The Nuts" offers a new and interesting perspective on tunes many of us grew up on.

One of the challenges in covering a notable band like Aerosmith is trying to offer something new. With only one or two exceptions, all the bands showcased on "Right In The Nuts" overcome this hurdle easily. At times it works, and at other times it doesn’t.

If you’re looking for a track that follows the original pretty faithfully, check out The Quill’s interpretation of "S.O.S." on the first disc. There’s a little distortion on the instrumentals, but they still perform well, and the vocals sound very much like a slightly younger Steven Tyler.

Generally speaking, disc one is far better than disc two, though the opening tracks on both are good stuff. Fireball Ministry’s version of "Movin' Out" is solid, but Alabama Thunderpussy’s rendition of "Sweet Emotion" is a great heavy tune.

Then things get a little ugly, with three tracks in a row that seem to go from bad to worse. "Lightning Strikes" gets bastardized by The Men Of Porn, with vocals that literally are so monotone they sound like the wailings of a drunk, and the rowdy drinking sound continues with Gideon Smith and The Dixie Damned’s version of "Chip Away At The Stone."

The rest of disc two doesn’t really offer much worth mentioning, except for "Nobody’s Fault" by Solace. They’ve managed to combine almost poppy lyrics with an early thrash instrumental sound and it adds up to the best track on disc two. The remaining tracks are mediocre at best, though there aren’t any real noticeable errors from these non-big name bands.

Disc one is also a mixed bag, but the bad tunes don’t plummet as far into the depths of disaster as do those on the second disc. Here, the worst offerings are Honky’s version of "Adam’s Apple" and Scissorfight’s cover of "Lick And Promise," though the latter may be subjective, since personally I just didn’t see the Texas thrash sound fitting with this traditionally poppy tune.

Though I don’t care for the vocals, Drunk Horse shows why they’re part of a stoner label on "Kings And Queens." There’s a great Hendrix style breakdown that more than compensates for the sometimes off-key lyrics. Also worth mentioning is Atomic Bitchwax, who mix things up a bit on "Combination," but the end result is great.

For those looking to check out a multitude of mostly underground bands, "Right In The Nuts" is a good sampler of heavy-ish hard rock bands. It’s not a bad choice for Aerosmith enthusiasts either, but overall, it’s not a compilation that Steven Tyler would add to his collection.