Sixx:A.M

Prayers For The Damned, Vol. 1

Written by: PP on 19/06/2016 14:58:10

Sixx:A.M. is the side project of iconic Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, best known for the debut album "The Heroin Diaries" in 2007 that was based on Sixx's autobiography carrying the same title. Since then, two new albums have surfaced, one in 2011 and one two years ago, neither one of which caught any traction thanks to their generic hard rock expression that primarily appealed to American mainstream rock radio listeners rather than music enthusiasts as such. The same applies to the fourth album "Prayers For The Damned", which is a double album split into "Vol. 1" (this review) and "Vol. 2" (to be released later in 2016). It's dominated by sterile American mainstream rock tunes characterized by big money production, thus leaving behind a clean sound without any rough edges and, as a result, any memorable points whatsoever.

Forget about Sixx's glam rock past. This is as safe and predictable as it gets. The simplistic riffs are as stale as they are boring, the vocal melodies by James Michael have occasional promise but retreat into lackluster filler for the vast majority of the time. The highlights are easy to pick: opener "Rise" has a powerful dynamic with its nearly operatic "Rise! chants, whereas "I'm Sick" excels through subdued verse melodies that almost echo the likes of Taproot and Chevelle until heading back to hard rock territory during the chorus. "When We Were Gods" is an ambitious, dramatic piece with a loud, high-flying chorus and a lot of passion behind it, but it's merely decent.

Then you have all of the filler material. "Better Man" sounds like something Nickelback could have written, and overall, the material here reeks of Shinedown-esque modern mainstream rock devoid of any inspiration whatsoever. "Belly Of The Beast" and "Can't Stop" are instantly forgettable, despite the former attempting to be clever with its playful guitars and odd vocal melodies.

In the end, "Prayers For The Damned, Vol. 1" only confirms what one might suspect: washed out rock stars trying to regain former glory but unable to write interesting songs consistently enough for a full album. That this is going to be a double album is downright idiocy. The problem is that even the best tracks on the record are merely good, but never great. Skip this one with a good conscience, because frankly, it's a boring record.

Download: Rise, I'm Sick, When We Were Gods
For the fans of: Shinedown, Buckcherry, Hinder, Rev Theory, Taproot
Listen: Facebook

Release date 29.04.2016
Eleven Seven Music

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