It's a double feature.
I've always thought Mick Mars was the real talent in Mötley Crüe. Nikki's had the occasional great lyric, none of which are in their hits. Vince Neil is pretty limited vocally but is perfect for what he does. And Tommy has... plenty of charisma. But Mick's always been on. His rare guitar solo also sucks me in, and his riffs are the apex of hair metal. I've never been a fan of mainstream 80's metal, but Mötley Crüe was a rare exception. I was bummed when everything with them and Mara fell apart, but I was pretty giddy when Mars' solo album was announced.
And it was better than I expected.
Track one, "Loyal to the Lie," sets the show for the next forty minutes. It quickly amps up and rockets into a heavy riff that the Crüe would never do. And then it disappears? Despite being a solo album, Mick drops the guitar for the verses and lets the drums and bass guide us beneath the vocals. He returns for the build up to the chorus, which does give me hair metal vibes. And glam rock has some great hooks, so that's not a negative. There's a ten second guitar solo that I wish went further, but my favorite Mars' solo is from "Kickstart My Heart," so I'll take it. It just feels like it's about to get better but then flattens out. The lyrics tell of a bad relationship with someone who's lied the whole time and broken the writer. The video shows protest footage (maybe real, maybe fake), so maybe there's more meaning?
Mars pretends to be Jerry Cantrell on "Broken on the Inside." The singer, Jacob Bunton, dirties up his voice to sing of a woman named Molly, who may not be a great person. The grunge vibes die off and give way to a mock black metal scream before we Five Finger Death Punch back to Molly. Molly is "out of time." Verse two indicates Molly (or someone new) is a hitman, but the chorus isn't changed. The solo is more what I'd expect from Mars, but it only mimics the chorus melody. It also stops abruptly. The first (second and third) time I heard this song, the hard drive crashing sounds scared me. Mick said this, along with a few others, is about people draining you. I'm sensing a theme...
Every 80's rocker needs a song called "Alone." As you could expect, this is a power ballad. But it's got a bunch of power! It starts with a sad piano, but a typical guitar for the genre doesn't let it last long. But it's the bass that takes my attention. There's a slow fade back to the piano and then to the end without a fun crescendo, which fits the lyrics. It's about an aged person reflecting on their past and how it's left them all alone. This might be Bunton's best song, and it really shows his range.
"Killing Breed" is a fun title! Static heralds us to a church bell before we reach the dirtiest, grungiest lick of all time (tm). Lyrically, this is just "Alone" but louder. "I'm out of blood to bleed for the Killing Breed." The guitar solo is straight from the hair metal days, but it actually ends, so it's the best so far! A different singer, Brion Gamboa, sings here, but he's not much different from Bunton.
"Memories" is a strange one. There's no obvious guitar, so does Mars appear here? It's kinda cool in that sense, but why does Bunton have a slur? It didn't appear on other songs, but this is the cleanest his voice gets. It's a 3:39 sad piano track about a long lost love. I just get lost in that drunken slur, though, so this is definitely the weakest track. I've been enjoying Bunton so much, too.
"The Right Side of Wrong" is an early single. And it's clear why. The mellow nature is over, and it's back to heavy metal! Open strings, bay-bay! A song about a revolution also has the best vocal hook on the album. The way "Voices are calling; it's been so long." hit me just right. The solo is another "Kickstart My Heart" style, and I wish it were longer.
"Ready to Roll" is a bit generic rock. There's nothing that sets it apart from other other modern bands, and the lyrics are about how cool we are all. It's a perfectly fine song, but it does nothing to me. It's a great area rock tune.
Gambia returns for "Undone." It's a song about a broken relationship. It ended because of broken promises and words unsaid. Nothing's spectacular about it, but that grunge riff does some heavy lifting. It's not a metal song, but it's far from a power ballad.
"Ain't Going Back" sorta undoes all the talks of regret throughout the album. The writer has accepted his "deal with the devil" and is fine with where his life has taken him. The solo gives me light industrial metal vibes, but it's another build up to nothing part.
The final song, "LA Noir," is a pure instrument. It's nearly four minutes of Mars doing a blues inspired series of solos over his backing band having fun. You know I can't describe music, but I enjoyed this, and it's a fitting way to end the album.
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Skill) Mick Mars' guitar solos leave a lot to desire, but there's something here. His riffs elsewhere are utterly amazing, and vocalist Jacob Bunton has me hooked. But I was really hoping for an amazing guitar clinic. 1/2
Variation) Mick tries his hands at grunge, rock, power ballads, and hair metal. There are a few tracks where the bass takes over, and Mick even goes away for a song. Even within the songs are plenty of things to keep you on your toes. 2/2
Bangers) Three, easy, but there are a few borderline ones. What a good album. 2/2
Replayability) I've listened to this album five times already, and I want to hunt down the music from the other dudes. 2/2
Extras) It's a cathartic album that totals ten songs over forty minutes. But those solos, man... 1/2
Total:8/10.
It's so close to being perfect, but there's something lacking in the experience. I love all the main guitar riffs, and they're something I wouldn't expect out of an 80's megastar. Mick is seventy two years old, in a lot of pain, and suing his former band. He didn't need to write this supper chuggy album, but I'm so glad he did.
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