Knock ’em Dead, Kid! Knock ’em Dead…

“At” the devil, not “with” unconvincingly stated Nikki Sixx in several interviews. Mötley Crüe are not satanist people but “just a rock n’ roll band (all right?!)”. We are out to send “a positive message!”.

Sure, we believe him and also realize that he was a genius when it came to marketing and promoting his band. Even though the dark haired bassist was messing around with the occult around the time of the release of Shout at the Devil, it was also clear that he had a plan to establish his band as one of the biggest of the eighties. The second album of the Crüe was the vehicle for world domination and the gang of LA, despite outrageous look and manners, had the potential to appeal to mass audiences. Certified platinum 6 months after its initial release, it went on to sell more then 4 millions copies in the US alone (probably double globally).

With proper production from Mr. Tom Werman, a recording budget “generously” given by Elektra records and endless drug, booze and groupies supplies, Mrs. Sixx, Lee, Neil and Mars were about to take their first major step into rock’n roll history.

Fueled by “the blackest of hate”, SATD is a collection of furious and catchy heavy metal songs that condense the aggression and anger of Nikki Sixx, the primary songwriter of the Crüe. A general sense of apocalypse and violence planes on this record as reflected in the video of the first single, “Looks That Kill”. While interviewed about the concept of the video, the band proudly announced that they wanted to make the viewer as shocked and uncomfortable as possible. Also, the use of satanic imagery such as the well know Pentagram helped the Crüe to attract the “right” crowd and generate just the perfect amount of controversy.

SATD can be considered a true product of its era in the sense where it dropped right when heavy metal was about to explode. It is a typical record of those years where screaming guitars prevailed before the entire genre softened with heavy use of keyboards and ballads. Mick Mars is enraged on killer tracks such as “Bastard”, “Too Young To Fall In Love” and the extremely violent “Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid”, dedicated to the LAPD after a not so friendly encounter with the band. SATD is also a reflection of those times where hedonism, especially when a member of an outrageous metal band was meant as the only school of thought. While each of the members of the band went on to pay their excesses one way or another later on, their then-lifestyle served as a basis for their inspiration.

Many would recommend this album as the one stand out in the Crüe discography and I am no exception. Their hunger for success is still present on that one as well as their rage to conquer and overcome. If you need only one, here it is! Shout!