Album Of The Week: Shout At The Devil By Mötley Crüe

The Original Album Cover
Courtesy of wikipedia

I gave everyone on here an option as to what album I was going to review next for the album of the week and it was a tie between Stay Hungry by Twisted Sister and Mötley Crüe’s Shout At The Devil. I bet you can figure out what album I chose to do just based off what the title of this article is. So, with that being said, I chose the second album by the kings of sleaze that was released on September 26, 1983 which means it is celebrating it’s 30TH anniversary this year. It’s weird to think that I am one year older than this record, but very understandable because it still stands the test of time. It was the first and only real heavy metal album that Mötley Crüe put out in their careers and the songs still kick ass every time you hear them live. It was also the album that brought Mötley Crüe international success and some infamy as well because of the use of the Pentagram on the original album cover that would eventually be switched over to a photo of the band. I feel fortunate because I own a copy of the original vinyl with the album cover. The funny fact is that the remastered version of the album contains a warning that the album may contain masked backward messaging due to the possibility of Bassist Nikki Sixx and Drummer Tommy Lee saying “Jesus Is Satan”  on the title track. Vince Neil on Vocals and Mick Mars on guitar round out the gang so let’s check out the tracks.

courtesy of wikipedia

In The Beginning starts off the album and it’s basically  just an intro with Nikki Sixx pretending to be the Mötley Crüe mascot Allister Fiend chanting something about the doom of mankind. Right when it’s done, it kicks in to one of the most iconic Mötley Crüe tracks in Shout At The Devil, a track that makes you want to bump your devil horns in the air until your arm is ready to fall. It’s a track that was doomed in the 80’s because the band was being accused of being satan worshipers even though the chorus plainly says in English, “Shout At The Devil” not shout with the devil. The second Looks That Kill kicks in, it’s just ferocious from the beginning till the end and Nikki’s amazing bass and songwriting skills shine through. I always thought that Tommy Lee was an amazing drummer and I love how Bastard starts off with his drum playing fading up as the song starts. The song has punk attitude along to go with it’s 80’s metal groove and it definitely contains one of Mick’s best solos on the album. God Bless The Children of The Beast is another intro, but a fitting intro to describe the family of Charles Manson as the children of the beast before Mötley Crüe gives us their rendition of The Beatles most misinterpreted classic, Helter Skelter. The song is everything we would want out of a cover, it’s heavier and maybe faster than the original. Granted Vince Neil doesn’t have the vocal abilities of any Beatle, but he’s not supposed to.

I imagine Vince telling the band give me a little bass and some drums right before they would kick into Red Hot. Then all of a sudden you can hear Mick scrap the pick down the fret board right before the madness begins. You can definitely hear the 70’s punk influence in the track. Too Young To Fall In Love is the best song on the record in my opinion and it has always been one of my favorites. Whenever I needed advice or someone to remind me that at 21, “you are too young to fall in love” I would play this song. Tommy kicks off the song before Mick goes all power chord crazy and this is definitely one of Vince’s best vocal performances on the album. Knock ‘Em Dead was dedicated to the LAPD back in times and it has that ultimate metal riff that just makes you want to headbang. Ten Seconds To Love may be the sleaziest song on the whole record and another one of my favorites. Danger isn’t the worst track on the album, but at 5 years old this song made me afraid of Hollywood because it’s very gloomy and it makes you think that there’s nothing, but tragedy at the end of the song.

Overall, I still believe that this is the greatest album that Mötley Crüe ever put out in their whole entire careers besides Girls, Girls, Girls and Dr. Feelgood. I am so thankful that they left I Will Survive and Black Widow off the record because those tracks would have dragged it down. i remember being a little kid and every time my older brother and I were home alone, He would put the cassette in the tape deck and we would listen this album from beginning to end. So, if I am a little biased towards these guys, then you can understand why. I am giving this masterpiece a 5 stars out of five.