The Savage Playground

The Savage Playground is the fourth album, layering rough street feel and a slightly dark mood over 1980s-style glam metal flash. Released on Frontiers in January 2013 — the second with Simon Cruz. The guitars are sharp and the choruses big, but the songs' air has a precariousness that isn't mere nostalgia. Martin Sweet said they felt the time was right for an edgier, not-so-polished album, closer to how they sound live, and a coarser texture than the previous record was the aim. Catchy hooks and hard riffs run in parallel, and the more driving the song, the stronger the shadows resonate. It opens with “Change the World,” then the acoustic intro of the advance single “Cocaine Cowboys” leads into “Anarchy” and “California.” Through the strings of “Snakes in Paradise” to the closing “Garden of Babylon,” the range is wide. Carrying this record they played Asia and Japan for the first time. It became Cruz's last album with the band; he left in the middle of the 2015 Japanese tour. A record for enjoying sleazy hard rock where glitter and aggression coexist.