Pete Way - Amphetamine (Expanded Edition) (2022)

Chronicling a dark dalliance with drugs, Amphetamine, the debut solo album by UFO/Waysted bassist Pete Way, was bound to surprise fans of his previous work when it originally surfaced in 2001. Recorded with the help of guitarist Walt James and drummer Scott Phillips, the disc marked Way's introduction as a vocalist, revealing his personal demons amid a dark, raw, noisy backdrop that comes closer to the punk/metal efforts of Motörhead and the heroin-plagued '90s grunge movement as evidenced by tracks like "That's Tuff" and "American Kid (What a Shame)." As a vocalist, Way is only passable, and the mere eight studio cuts offered make Amphetamine seem a little light on material -- a notion that isn't helped much by the fact that this 2004 reissue houses three bonus tracks, all of which are home demos of three albums' original cuts. ~ John D. Luerssen