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Next year will mark ten years since hard rockers Sixx: AM formed. In that time they’ve released four studio albums, which is especially impressive considering bassist Nikki Sixx were in Motley Crue and guitarist DJ Ashba was in Guns N’ Roses at the time. But with Motley Crue coming to an end last year and Ashba leaving Gunners this can only mean good things for Sixx: AM and they’ve proved that quickly by releasing their second album of the year. Prayers For The Blessed is the second volume of the double album which started with Prayers For The Damned, the album released in April.
Sixx: AM are a band known for classic hard rocking songs, and this album gives us exactly that from the very first track, Barbarians (Prayers for the Blessed). The song almost has an Iron Maiden type vibe to it to start with before Ashba’s guitar kicks in quickly followed by frontman James Michael’s powerful vocals. This is a great way to start off the album and certainly makes you want to hear more.
The second track is lead single We Will Not Go Quietly. A track which definitely won’t go quietly from your mind anytime soon! Part Papa Roach part 80’s rock anthem it’s not hard to see why this track was chosen as the lead single.
Halfway through the album we reach Catacombs. It’s a minute long guitar solo which is a unique interlude song but almost seems a tad unnecessary. A couple of tracks later we get to Without You. A cover of the Harry Nilsson song (Google it, you’re bound to know it!) Sixx: AM’s version’s pays tribute to the original, keeping it more mellow rather than their usual hard rock style but there’s just something lacking. It’s not that it’s a bad cover it just seems an odd choice.
Overall, this is a solid enough album but you can’t help but feel that it could be better. To me, the heavier tracks like That’s Gonna Leave A Scar and The Devil’s Coming are by far are stronger than mellower songs like Riot In My Head and Helicopters (which is a disappointing end to the album). That’s not to say I have anything against mellow songs, I don’t, but to me, Sixx: AM do the hard rock stuff much better, and it’s something I’d like to see more of on their next album.
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