Sixx A.M. Prayers-for-the-Damned

SIXX: A.M.-Prayers For The Damned, Vol. 1

Eleven Seven Music

Sixx: A.M. entered the scene as a side project from Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, Guns N’ Roses guitarist DJ Ashba and vocalist and successful singer, songwriter and producer James Michael back in 2007. With their first album ‘The Heroin Diaries’, based on Sixx’s autobiographical book with the same title, they made a huge impression. Follow up ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’ (2011) was about people who were different from the standard and this album was also accompanied by a photobook with photos made by Nikki Sixx. I was afraid they lost me after their third album ‘Modern Vintage’ (2014) which I thought was a terrible album on which they seemed totally have lost direction and on which they tried too hard to sound like just any pop band to get commercial (radio) success. Luckily they found their way back and with ‘Prayers For The Damned, Vol.1’ they delivered a fantastic album filled with catchy, heavy, energetic and driven songs. They do have their own recognizable style mainly because of the distinctive voice of singer James Michael and the way he produces the band. Guitarist DJ Ashba gets enough space to deliver catchy solos when needed but always within the framework of the song. Former Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx completes the nucleus of the band and I guess he is the man who gives the direction. All in all with ‘Prayers For The Damned, Vol. 1’ Sixx: A.M. proves to be a force to be reckoned with and songs like the overwhelming opener ,,Rise’’, the dynamic ,,I’m Sick’’, the title track with a cool Ashba solo, ,,Everything Went To Hell’’ or the epic ,,Rise Of The Melancholy Empire’’ they can’t go wrong. With no more Mötley Crüe for Sixx and no more Guns N’ Roses for Ashba they now have the time to completely focus on Sixx: A.M., although rumour has it that Vol.2 of this diptych could very well be the last and that my friends would be a pity.

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