Cold Sweat: Break Out (20th Century Music)

Originally released in 1990, Break Out was the debut (and only) release from Cold Sweat, a hard rock band that was formed by former Keel guitarist Marc Ferrari alongside vocalist Rory Cathey (replacing one-time singer Oni Logan, who later joined Lynch Mob).

Equal parts L.A. “hair metal” and melodic arena rock, Break Out is exactly the kind of hard rock album you’d expect to find in 1990. It’s somewhere between the party rock of L.A. Guns and Danger Danger and the harder rocking Hurricane and Tora Tora sound. There are plenty of hard rockin’ tunes (see “Four on the Floor” and “Jump the Gun”), plus the obligatory ballad (“Waiting in Vain”). The cover of the Willie Dixon blues classic “I Just Want To Make Love To You” was a nice surprise. The guitar work on this album – particularly the melodies – is very impressive, and Cathey’s smooth, powerful vocals really seal the deal.

Another casualty of the early-‘90s grunge-a-thon, Cold Sweat was never heard from again. Given the sheer volume of similar bands at the time, that’s not really surprising, but Cold Sweat had more going on than the average rock band at the time, and with the right breaks could have/should have had a better shot at the big time before the party ended. In the end, Break Out remains a real gem of the late ’80s and early ’90s melodic rock/hair metal sound, and is well worth picking up, especially now that it has been reissued.

Reissue Notes: The 20th Century Music label answered a lot of fans’ prayers this year with the first official reissue of the long out-of-print Break Out. The new version boasts a ridiculously good remastering that will make even long-time fans hear the album in a whole new light. There aren’t any bonus tracks, but between the brilliant remastering job and the loaded booklet, this is well worth the upgrade. And for those who missed Break Out the first time around, now is your chance to correct that. Act fast though, the reissue may end up being harder to find than the original before too long.