So, who here has heard about this band?
From my top 50 album thread when talking about them.
If there was one band that I literally have never heard of before, but got into them due to my radio phase, this would be the band. For bands like Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, and Breaking Benjamin, I already had an inkling of who they were, but prior to listening to a Sixx: A.M. track, I never heard of these guys before.
For those that do not know, Sixx: A.M. is a band that is, I guess was a side project (I guess it's the main project now?) of Motley Crue leader and bassist Nikki Sixx. I believe he claimed in his book, also called "This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography, And Life Through The Distorted Lens Of Nikki Sixx," that this was one of those bands that was really founded and run through pretty unconventional means. I don't think Sixx intended this band to be a "legit" band. It was just him and a bunch of musical friends: lead vocalist James Michael (who's a producer, as well, namely of two albums from Papa Roach), and guitarist DJ Ashba (yes that Ashba that used to be in GNR, let the jokes commence) just trading ideas together out of the blue. Then when Sixx wanted to do a soundtrack for another autobiography he wrote, The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star, he picked these guys to work with and before you know, they felt this sort of chemistry with each other and found really easy to write songs together and before you know, they decided to be a band.
Their albums are pretty solid for me. The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack is a solid album, especially for people that wants a helping voice when fighting addictions, and it's a good way to show Sixx's drug ordeals in the late 80s, in a storytelling outlet, especially when he was actually declared dead for a moment. This is Gonna Hurt, for me, is that great album that reminds me why I'm proud of listening to alternative metal/modern hard rock music. Modern Vintage, on the other hand, represents the opposite where I have doubts over the direction of the band. I felt that they were a bit too poppy, slick, uninspired, etc.
That stated, that perspective changed when I heard they were going to do two albums released this year. Prayers for the Damned and Prayers for the Blessed. Prayers for the Damned was solid enough. Had some solid tracks and had some meh tracks. Prayers for the Blessed though was absolutely incredible for me. A Top Five album of the year for certain where I was proud to be a fan of Sixx: A.M. It was one of those albums when I hear it and I am approaching near the end of it, I'm just like "I never want this to end." Also, there were songs that I was like, "Ehhh, I'm not feeling it at the start of the song," it left a better impression to me as the songs continued on. A great modern hard rock album.
Favorites so far:
Barbarians (Prayers for the Blessed),
We Will Not Go Quietly,
Maybe It's Time,
Suffocate, and
Riot in My Head.
If you are a fan of modern hard rock/radio rock/alternative metal, then you might find this band enjoyable. If you are not a fan of Motley Crue or Nikki Sixx's opinions regarding stuff, I still suggest listening to Sixx: A.M. I don't care much for Motley Crue since I just don't care for their music and glam vibe, and their 80s destructive lifestyle, but Sixx: A.M. is so much different in the best way possible where they have so much substance in their music/lyrics that gets me thinking and being reflective about life.