Alright, let’s get down to brass tacks with a surge of raw energy and enough metallic firepower to ignite a powder keg. Stainless deliver a balls‑out rock‑and‑roll assault steeped in the spirit of 1980s hair metal—loud, gritty, and gloriously unapologetic. And believe me, this Oregon‑based quintet, active since 2022, aren’t taking shit from anyone.
The lineup features Larissa Cavacece on lead vocals, Jamie Byrum and Eric Wallace on guitars, Selina Cleary on bass, and Charlie Koryn on drums. I didn’t know what to expect when I first read about them in Classic Rock magazine (issue 353, courtesy of Sleazegrinder), but I knew immediately I had to check them out. So I grabbed their new album, Lady of Lust & Steel.
Let me just say: this is one hell of a debut. Released on High Roller Records, Stainless waste no time getting down to business, unleashing blistering, skull‑crunching rock and roll like a cannon blast waiting to detonate. Sure, the hair‑metal influence is there, but so is a Bay Area thrash undercurrent—especially on ‘Whorefrost’. Machine‑gun bass drums, razor‑sharp solos, rumbling riffs, and cavalry‑charge momentum all collide in a cinematic gore‑soaked battlefield straight out of a midnight movie.
‘(Don’t Cross Me) Fool’ opens with a wah‑wah lick that nods to Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland and Are You Experienced?, but quickly shifts into power‑metal territory, Dio‑esque heroism wrapped in the surreal fantasy aesthetic of Heavy Metal magazine. The controversial album art echoes the works of Jim Burns, Richard Corben, and Jean “Moebius” Giraud for a reason: Stainless are unapologetic warriors, wielding their metallic sword in honour of Taarna herself.
From the opening track ‘Restless An’ Ready’ to the title track, the engines are roaring. Larissa’s double‑tracked vocals hit with force, she’s absolutely someone you do not want to mess with. In another universe, you can imagine her surviving bar fights, boxing rings, and underground brawls, still swinging every time.
‘Danger in the Night’ brings an epic finger‑tapping homage to Angus Young’s ‘Thunderstruck’, fuelling a comic‑book‑style battle sequence in your mind, Taarna preparing for war, cutting down barbarians, showing no mercy as Stainless drive the tempo into overdrive.
After the first five tracks, the band shifts into a smoky blues‑club atmosphere. ‘Take a Listen Mama’ channels Janis Joplin’s spirit with a slithering Pat Benatar/Joan Jett edge, like a hot‑and‑spicy wasabi smoothie powering Larissa’s vocal fire.
Then Stainless tip their hat to Texas boogie on ‘Rough Justice’. ZZ Top would be proud. And ‘Vitamin Tease’ brings the Sunset Strip swagger, pure ‘80s hair‑metal energy straight out of the Whisky a Go Go or Riki Rachtman’s Cathouse, complete with imaginary encores stretching until dawn.
This is Stainless’ moment. Their time. One of the best hard‑rock debuts I’ve heard this year. Give them a thunderous round of applause, they’ve delivered a monster of an album to kick off the summer with a bang.
