MÖTLEY CRÜE legend Nikki Sixx returns with his SIXX: A.M. project in 2011, offering up a truly powerful musical experience entitled This Is Gonna Hurt – a soundtrack to Sixx’s New York Times bestselling book This Is Gonna Hurt – Music, Photography And Life Through The Distorted Lens, the follow up to 2008’s The Heroin Diaries. This reviewer typically does not go for any alternative radio rock… but I would be remiss if I said anything against the fact that what Nikki has carved out here with lead guitarist DJ Ashba (GUNS N ROSES) and vocalist James Michael is a damn special thing.
When you get bogged down in this business of listening – for the most part – to nothing but the heavy shit, you can sometimes lose track of the “other stuff” that is out there. Thankfully, I have a great fan (Dan Muzquiz) who thought it was important enough of a record for me to hear, and unbelievably the man actually purchased the deluxe version of This Is Gonna Hurt on iTunes and sent it to me as a gift the other day. How could I not give it a chance? It’s probably a good thing that I was extremely stoned. I decided to start my journey with track number seven – figured this would be the ultimate test – if this thing was really worth a damn, then my random choice wouldn’t matter because whichever one I picked to hear first… well, dammit… it had better blow my dick off, right? All that said, I was honestly pleasantly surprised when I ran into a brick wall of an uplifting ballad simply entitled “Smile”. When you go back and play a track half a dozen times within the first forty-eight hours of hearing it, guess what… you have a classic on your hands.
The rest of the album doesn’t disappoint either, catchy melodic riffs tied to Sixx’s legendary bass groove and one seriously killer vocal performance delivered by Michaels on other notables “This Is Gonna Hurt”, “Lies of The Beautiful People”, and “Deadlihood”. Ashba turns in some impressive guitar solo work all throughout This Is Gonna Hurt, and sure, he sounds like Slash’s little brother… but you know what? Little man can play the six strings.
Will Crue fans dig it? If they’ve still got a beating heart in their chest… yes, I believe every single one of them will love it. This Is Gonna Hurt evokes a keen sense of both life’s heartaches and the sweet moments of joy that we all comes across as human beings. “Is this the best we can do?”, Michaels sings during track nine’s blistering “Oh My God”… and one is forced to confess to themselves… that ‘I can do better’.
When music transcends its format and begins to go to work on the very souls listening to it, the only thing you can call it is a work of wonder.
ROCKET REVIEW:
[starreview tpl=16]
SIXX: A.M. – “This Is Gonna Hurt” (CD)
(Eleven Seven Records/2011)
1. This Is Gonna Hurt
2. Lies of the Beautiful People
3. Are You With Me
4. Live Forever
5. Sure Feels Right
6. Deadlihood
7. Smile
8. Help Is On the Way
9. Oh My God
10. Goodbye My Friends
11. Skin
http://sixxammusic.com/
Glad you like the album! Nice write up …and I was delighted to read the last sentence especially, as I’m in full agreement with that!
Nicely done, Randy!
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Sixx:A.M. “This Is Gonna Hurt” I Love this album! I’ve seen the documentaries…I too asked myself when did I become so judgemental? Who taught me this? Definitely an eyeopener! Its been a long time since something has moved me like this. I truly believe Nikki Sixx , James Michael, and DJ Ashba put their heart and souls into this..well done! There’s not a song i don’t like but my faves…Live Forever, Sure Feels Right, and Skin.