Slippery does indeed sound like they recorded this album circa. 1986, but that could just as easily be dubbed a negative, because this album sounds very dated. Most bands embracing this retro style borrow the roots of the genre but upgrade the engineering; First Blow, however, legitimately sounds like it was recorded, produced, and released in the mid-‘80s. Put this on at a party and nobody will think it is a 2012 release. The production values are low budget and it all sounds a little average and simplistic, but Slippery no doubt did the best they could with limited funds. Not every band can afford Chris Laney… Lead singer Fabiano Drudi sounds a little bit like Dee Snider, albeit with a more melodic edge to his vocals. His range seems to be a bit limited—he will not be giving Mike Matijevic a run for his money—but he manages to avoid being overly monotonous. The axe-work is actually pretty good, with plenty of sizzling solos to satisfy fans of the air guitar. The skin skills are fine, but the actual sound of the drums is a little weak, lacking the big, live, authoritative punch needed to slam home the rhythms. In their quest to recreate the glory days of big hair and black leather, Slippery get some things right and other things… less than right. For example, the guitar lines are all crisp and clean and mega-melodic, the hooks are designed to be catchy in a basic, by the book kind of way, and there are layered harmonies juxtaposed with gang backing vocals to thicken up the