The Oklahoma music scene has a lot to be proud of, but sadly, it’s most popular current act, Hinder, isn’t one of them. In fact, Oklahomans should be downright ashamed that Hinder calls Oklahoma home.
The Oklahoma City band just released their sophomore album, “Take it to the Limit,” and with it, the only thing they “take to the limit” is sleaze, stupidity and complete insincerity.
Hinder seems to desperately want to be the new Motley Crue, even going so far as to have Crue guitarist Mick Mars play on the title track, but the band clearly lacks the talent and ambition to create anything close to memorable.
It would be hard to talk about “Take it to the Limit” without mentioning its horrendous album cover. It features the band smugly leaning against exotic sports cars parked in front of a glamorous Beverly Hills mansion, a little too Hollywood for a band who just five years ago played at OKC’s awful “Bluenote” venue. The only things missing are the stacks of cash and terrible grills. This thing makes most bad, cliché hip hop covers look like works of art.
It seems the band has put far more effort into being edgy than their songwriting. Nearly every track is chock full of tired references to cheap sex, drugs, alcohol and general partying, but none of it comes across as sincere. Instead, it just seems to be trying way too hard to appeal to brainless teenage boys who still find such things cool.
The album also has its fair share of cheesy power ballads. On “Without You,” the band is blatantly trying to recreate the success of 2006’s “Lips of an Angel.” At least this time the tune is an actual love song.
Hinder is not only an embarrassment to Oklahoma music, but to popular music in general. Avoid “Take it to the Limit” at all costs.
