*** Bangs

SWEET REVENGE

(Kill Rock Stars)

Covering Cheap Trick without irony is a challenge -- yet Bangs do it on "Southern Girls," which isn't even close to the best track on Sweet Revenge. That would be "Into You," a syncopated rock-and-roll romp with a Twisted Sister bounce. Although they have an all-grrrl pedigree (they're from Olympia, and bassist/singer Maggie Vail is the sister of Tobi from Bikini Kill and the Frumpies), Bangs eschew the avant filigree of riot stalwarts Sleater-Kinney for a riskier "boy" sound. And though their hair-metal tendencies aren't quite as much over-the-top fun as Le Tigre's disco bent, Bangs toss off enough Mötley Crüe-style groupie come-ons to charm. What's more, they never lapse into cliché when taking a girl-power stance: "I'm tired of losing sleep/I'm kicking you out of my bed." It's a clever coupling of concepts, yes, but the secondary sexual connotation gives the punch a confessional feel that more overtly political punk often lacks. The power ballad "Undo Everything" is a reminder of why Metallica et al. never left the studio without a slow number; a sweet respite from all the revenge, the tune jumps off with a riff reminiscent of Hole (good) before hitting a Stevie Nicks-style chorus (great).

-- Nick Catucci

(Bangs play the Cambridge VFW Hall this Friday, May 19. Call 547-9320.)