If Murphy's Law could apply to any band, Britain's Dirty Deeds would probably have their picture placed next to the definition in the dictionary. First, they launched into their debut American tour supporting Iron Maiden, only to see the bulk of the tour cancelled. Then, they had their debut disc Danger Of Infection scheduled for release on Velvel, only to see that label fold before it could see the light of day.

Now, with a label deal secured and their second disc Real World out on the market, Danger Of Infection is finally seeing the light of day in the States - and while it has some great moments on it, the disc also shows a band still working on getting their own unique sound together. (Full disclosure: I'm working off the original copy released on Beast Records - it's now available in the States on Sanctuary.)

I've had the pleasure of seeing the band - lead vocalist/guitarist Pete Franklin, lead guitarist Barry Fitzgibbon, bassist Tony Newton and drummer Dave Cavill - perform on one of those Iron Maiden show dates, and like numerous other bands, Dirty Deeds is a group whose true power lies in the live performance. The music takes on a life of its own when played before a screaming throng, and the energy is unbelievable. It would be hard for any band to translate that power into the studio setting.

Yet try they do, as they power through 11 cuts of vintage-style hard rock that focuses on the melody more than the riff - a nice change of pace. Tracks like "Nothing To Lose," "Call Of The Wild" and "I'm No Angel" show the promise that this type of rock music has kept dormant while waiting for the commercial rebirth of the genre. Frankly, it's good to hear it again.

But Danger Of Infection takes a little time building up to the mother lode on the album. Tracks like "Cry Out," "Dividing Line" and "Promised Land" are by no means terrible, but they don't have the same kind of qualities that would draw the listener in like flies to a no-pest strip as the killer tracks do. Still, with repeat listens, even these tracks show some inert qualities that you won't get on a cursory listen.

If there's anything that is underutilized on Danger Of Infection, it's the use of harmony vocals. All four members of Dirty Deeds contribute some kind of vocals to the album, and when they go to harmonies, it seems to work pretty well - without compromising any of the music's power. I'd like to see what they could accomplish with a little more harmony thrown into the mix. (Maybe they did on Real World; at the time of this writing, it was still in the "to be reviewed" pile here at the Pierce Memorial Archives.)

Danger Of Infection might have taken forever to hit these shores, but there are moments on it that prove it was worth the wait. But if you're expecting a musical epidemic to pour out of your speakers, you might be disappointed a little bit.

Rating: B+

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