POISON “Native Tongue” Capitol * *Even...

POISON “Native Tongue” Capitol * *

Even if Poison’s time weren’t past--the commercial “pop” metal genre where it reigns is no longer the rock du jour --the L.A. group’s fifth album would still fall short.

The band seems to be trying to show some growth, heading in a slightly different, less fluffy direction behind talented new guitarist Richie Kotzen and a few guests, including percussionist Sheila E. and Lynyrd Skynyrd pianist Billy Powell.

But “Native Tongue” is not enough of a stretch to shake the quintet’s pursed-lips poseurs tag--the lyrics and image plod over well-worn ground. Poison might be musically tougher and more bluesy on these 15 tracks, but that doesn’t make up for an abundance of predictable, bland ballads and banal, middle-of-the-road rockers. Notable are the simple, gospel-tinged “Stand” and “7 Days Over You,” which harks back to the catchy, sing-along style found in earlier Poison fare such as “Unskinny Bop.”

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four (excellent).