Shotgun Messiah was never in a class with
Guns N' Roses,
Aerosmith, or
Motley Crue; nor did the L.A.-based band achieve great commercial success. Nonetheless,
Messiah cranked out their share of enjoyable and infectious -- if derivative -- hard rock/heavy metal, and the Angelinos reached their creative peak with
Second Coming. The CD gets off to a rather clichéd and unimpressive start with "Sexdrugsrockn'roll," but when
Messiah tears into "Trouble," "Heartbreak Blvd," and "Can't Fool Me" -- which are among the foursome's best and most focused songs -- listeners will be glad to have heard
Second Coming. Though the album falls short of being a gem and won't win any awards for innovation, it's a respectable effort from a band who deserved more attention than they received. For headbangers who've never heard
Messiah, this decent album would be the best starting point. Recommended.