Is the strenuous touring schedule taking its toll? We’ll find out for ourselves when the band hits UK shores with WINGER this coming May. There’s no denying Starr has incredible range and tone but even that can’t hide tired vocal cords. It’s the delivery of Michael Starr ’s vocals we begin to take some issue with from the off. Stix Zadinia (drums/keys) leads the steady bounce into the urgency of getting “ some gash ” – not a word we’re particularly fond of but we’ll roll with it. It’s not new territory for STEEL PANTHER to use electronic elements – Supersonic Sex Machine does in places but this is the first time it’s more obvious. Will the resulting bed rocking be earth shattering or will it be a case of one and done? Never Too Late (To Get Some Pussy Tonight) is interesting in its synth-laden intro. It’s a sign of how things are going to go. In any situation, the opening is very important. In actuality, Travis Haley (real name for Lexxi Foxx ) left the band in 2021 to pursue a life away from the glitz and constant touring STEEL PANTHER had to offer after the rather odd HOLLYWOOD GODS N’ MONSTERS disappeared from the face of the planet.

Following the sad departure of Lexxi Foxx (bass) as he went to pursue other dreams of making dogs look pretty, STEEL PANTHER went on the prowl (see what we did there) for a new bassist and eventually found Spyder. Clocking in at 48 minutes, that isn’t the only thing that’s new around here.

The follow-up to the rather anticlimactic Heavy Metal Rules (2019) comes with a hefty 13 tracks. Comedic glam-metallers STEEL PANTHER rise from the ashes once more and get On The Prowl. Though this is somewhat standard conversation for this writer in particular, as our editor-in-chief can attest to, there is an actual reason for it. We’re going to be talking about sex, drugs, and male impotency rather explicitly. For those of a sensitive disposition, you may want to close this review now.

Panther on the prowl