Ted Poley

You don’t need to be a die-hard '80s metal fan to know that the fruits of an artistic alliance between Danger Danger singer Ted Poley and guitarist/producer Steve Brown of Trixter was going to make melodic rock fans rejoice! And in fact, when the Self-Titled debut album hit the market, that’s when the fun really started to happen!

With the inevitable heat of summer already making itself at home, there’s few options so tempting as to roll down the windows and embrace the enthusiastic nostalgia of melodic rock brought by the uplifting graces of Tokyo Motor Fist and the vibrant charm of their latest album. “Lions” is so sweet and smooth that listening to it feels almost like a guilty indulgence, something that one would sneak a taste of alone in the kitchen by the blue light of an open fridge. There’s something raw and authentic about it that makes it instantly irresistible for fans of melodic hard rock at any point from the 80s to the present. Tokyo Motor Fist have captured the most decadent tones of melodic rock and are releasing a bright ray of sonic sunshine in a world that certainly needs that pure brand of brightness…

You’d have to be almost dead not to get caught up in the infectious fun that is Tokyo Motor Fist. The name might conjure up thoughts of an ancient form of Japanese bondage, but at least they didn’t name themselves Trixter Danger.
Yes, the most talented Steve Brown (Trixter, Guitar) and the always flamboyant Ted Poley (Danger Danger, vocals) team with the rhythm section of Greg Smith (Ted Nugent, Rainbow, Alice Cooper) and Chuck Burgi (Rainbow, Blue Oyster Cult, Joe Lynn Turner) for what amounts to a meeting of the New Jersey chapter of the Melodic Rock Mafia, to create an infectious slice of classic 80s melodic rock that you just have to rock along with.

Just like any musical movement, when such glam metal pretty boys as Poison and Ratt hit the big time in the late '80s, numerous copycat acts followed in their path; one being Danger Danger. Like the aforementioned bands, the quintet – Ted Poley (vocals), Andy Timmons (guitar), Bruno Ravel (bass), Steve West (drums), and Kasey Smith (keyboards) – mixed pop hooks and good looks with hard-edged guitar riffs, landing a deal with Epic in 1989. The same year saw the release of the group's self-titled debut, spawning the single/video "Naughty Naughty," which enjoyed a few airings on MTV's Headbanger's Ball program. The album failed to break the group through to the big time, but the group stuck to their guns and issued further albums: 1992's Screw It, 1995's Dawn, 1998's Four the Hard Way, and 2000's Return of the Great.