After building a following through most of the mid ‘80s, a band by the name of Enuff Z’Nuff at last released their self-titled debut album in 1989 through Atco Records. A long time coming, Enuff Z’Nuff (founded by Chip Z’Nuff and Donnie Vie) had endured lineup changes and been honing its sound amid a competitive landscape of other Hard Rock and Metal bands. However, with their debut, solidified by a lineup featuring Lead Guitarist Derek Frigo and Drummer Vikki Foxx, they finally received the mainstream attention they deserved. An album that peaked at number 67 in the Billboard Hot 100, it also featured the catchy hit “New Thing” and the standout “Fly High Michelle,” showing there was a place for Enuff Z’Nuff in the broader Rock world.
A fantastic debut, the kicker was that Enuff Z’Nuff may have been lumped into the Glam Metal genre, but they were far from such with a dynamic sound that mixed Alternative Rock, Pop, Metal, and more. Arguably, having a lot more substance than many other bands of the era, you could say Enuff Z’Nuff’s sound for their debut was far more ‘90s than it was ‘80s. With this in mind, their follow-up in 1991, Strength, was another example of a mature band writing very thoughtful songs, more in common with The Beatles than with Poison. With that, Enuff Z’Nuff continued releasing albums through the 90s and 2000s, before Donnie Vie left in 2002. A significant blow to the band, he did return for a period many years later, recorded Dissonance with them in 2009, but has largely been absent from Enuff Z’Nuff since 2013, save for a guest appearance on the 2020 album Brainwashed Generation.
With times changing, the band has continued with Chip Z’Nuff handling lead vocals since 2016, singing on 2018’s Diamond Boy into 2022’s Finer Than Sin. Most recently joined by a very fresh lineup including Jason Camino and Luis Kalil on guitars, while Daxx Nielsen (Touring member of Cheap Trick alongside his dad Rick Nielsen) on the drums, Enuff Z’Nuff might look very different to long-time followers. Still, the objective remains the same: to perform memorable Rock-n-Roll.
With their eyes toward the future, Enuff Z’Nuff returns in 2025 with the brand new studio album Xtra Cherries. Released on July 25, 2025, through Cleopatra Records, the album finds Chip and company collaborating with some pretty legendary rockers, including Robin Zander of Cheap Trick, original Journey Vocalist Robert Fleischman, current Journey Guitarist Neal Schon, former Guns N’ Roses Drummer Steven Adler, Billy Idol’s Guitarist Steve Stevens, and Nelson’s Gunnar Nelson. Beyond this, you also have an appearance from classic Enuff Z’Nuff lineup Derek Frigo (who passed in 2004, but is included thanks to demo recordings), Trixter’s Steve Brown, plus a very special return of Donnie Vie (who had not sung on any song with the band since 2013) on the closing track.
All of these components in place, Xtra Cherries offers a solid mix of Enuff Z’Nuff classic blend of Power Pop and Rock, but also with a very distinctive Alternative Rock and almost Grunge sound. Featuring a list of well-composed songs, each is full of catchy hooks and choruses, which make for a very pleasant listen. A rather lengthy album running over 50 minutes, the production from Chip and Rob Pozen (who has worked with Chip in the past) is extremely solid with plenty of dynamics that let the guitars, among the other instruments, shine brightly.
With a lot to dig into, “No Cold Feeling” is a very upbeat track, “Heavy Metal” is extremely Stone Temple Pilots vibed, and “Magnificent” is full of groove. However, the heavy Blues sound of “You Make Me Wanna Life” (which features Robin Zander and Derek Frigo) is a bold highlight. At the same time, “Zillion Miles Away” grabs your attention, and the closer “Shine” (including Neal Schon, Robert Fleischman, and Donnie Vie) is a colorful, must-listen.
Overall, Enuff Z’Nuff has put together a very inviting, heavy Alternative Rock-leaning record that should appeal to long-time fans as well as some new ones. That is why Cryptic Rock gives Xtra Cherries 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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