Love 'em or hate 'em, there's no denying that
Jane's Addiction were one of the pivotal bands of the
alt-rock revolution of the early '90s. They were one of the first to pull
metal and underground
rock fans together, first with their 1988 major-label debut,
Nothing's Shocking, and then as the creators and headliners for the first
Lollapalooza tour. In short, they came to define much of the sound and style of
alternative rock in the '90s.
The Panic Channel features
Dave Navarro and
Stephen Perkins, the guitarist and drummer for
Jane's;
Chris Chaney, who took over for original
Jane's bassist
Eric Avery when the group reunited in 2003; and vocalist
Steve Isaacs, who has spent time as an
MTV VJ as well as some time on the stage. On their 2006 debut,
(One),
the Panic Channel sound like countless groups that followed in the wake of
grunge. For all the world, the album sounds as if it could have been released in 1996 when
MTV and the airwaves were inundated with bands that took the heavy sound of
grunge, cleaned it up, and gave it a touch of classic
rock formalism.
Isaacs may be a cipher as a frontman, but
Navarro,
Perkins, and
Chaney are coolly professional, so they always sound like nothing less than a competent
Foo Fighters cover band. For those listeners who pine for a world when
Seven Mary Three received heavy rotation, this will satisfy. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
