If you want heavy rock pedigree the lineage papers dont get much longer than those belonging to one Nikki Sixx, founder and survivor of California’s Motley Crue. 

While the Crue remain active to some degree, Mr Sixx has found time to get a book together chronicling the nightmarish rollercoaster that was his heroin addiction during the late eighties. In a unique marketing move Sixx and his new musical outfit Sixx AM have released what has been sold as the books soundtrack. 

The album opens with Sixx reading extracts over an ethereal backing mire that slowly builds to a carnival inspired introduction. Soon enough the album gets down to business and for all the hoopla and marketing hype surrounding this release it would seem the songs actually stand on their own merit. 

While everything is tinged with Sixx’s neon haze, the group have crafted some genuinely catchy rock numbers, and while the album will not be breaking any new ground musically it will provide a welcome alternative to Hinder and the like. 

Tracks such as Life is Beautiful, the Killers inspired Pray for Me and the scene-evoking lines of Van Nuys create a surprisingly coherent accompaniment to the book making the release as a whole rather unique. There is enough of Sixx’s past here to make the record a required addition to any Crue fan’s collection, but in a surprising return to form, Nikki Sixx has put something substantial on the table for new fans too; a strong release worthy of a sophomore follow up.