One thought on “Mötley Crüe: Shout At The Devil-80’s-1983.”

1. Sweetie, September 3rd, 2018.

   Consider that bastard dead!

   Forget the hits, forget the iconic beauty of the title track, and forget the fact that there’s a Beatles cover that’s absolutely banger! Well, no, don’t forget all of that stuff, because it’s all essential to the equation that proves Shout At The Devil to be one of the greatest heavy metal records ever, and certainly Motley Crue’s best one. Let alone the fact that Nikki and co. are far more consistent here than they were on the almost perfect predecessor. Let alone the black imagery that sifts through my brain every time I listen to it. It’s probably a bit redundant to touch on how dark all of the tracks are, but the fact that they took an already dingy song like The Beatle’s “Helter Skelter” and added a whole new level of sleaze and filth is just phenomenal. The ability to make the classic ballad “Too Young To Fall In Love” fit this kind of piece without sounding out of place is also amazing, in my humble opinion.

   But as I said, the “Looks That Kill”s are just what make this album pretty damn good, and by now just about everyone knows the ins and outs of these red hot beaters (pun intended). What sends Shout At The Devil over the top is the durability of everything that didn’t smack the radio waves back in the days of ’83. The heavier, more abrasive tracks are more to blame than anything. “Bastard”, “Red Hot”, “Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid”, and “Ten Seconds To Love” are the songs responsible for the hard strength of material. “Bastard” and “Red Hot” are borderline speed metal, drum pummeling, strum chugging, riff maniacs that are vigorous enough to pull the weight of a freight train. The dirty nature and mean energy combined with completely clean singing is the pinnacle of stellar construction. On the other hand, “Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid” and “Red Hot” transfer their energy into a steadier, and friendlier heaviness with the same sexual appeal that was all over the debut record. These four tracks, combined with the iconic radio hits (that are still great, just not quite as) are the reason Shout is held in such high regards. But that’s just before the icing is added.

   “In The Beginning” and “God Bless The Children Of The Beast” are necessary additives that weave the flow together, and introduce the level of evil imagery that should come to mind while spinning this disc. Honestly, this helps back up that whole consistency thing that I mentioned earlier. But the last bit of magic is album closer “Danger”. It’s somewhat a second ballad, but the acoustic intro building up to heavy chord progression makes it a bit of a thriller. Touching on the evils of Hollywood was incorporated into this so neatly, and again, despite being a ballad, it fits the puzzle perfectly. Couldn’t have asked for a better way to close the album.

   One final note, the bonus tracks with this specific version are great. A few of them are demos with slight alterations, which is always fun, and the unreleased “I Will Survive” is good enough as well. The real essential listen, though, is “Hotter Than Hell”. This song would appear on the next album Theatre Of Pain re-titled as “Louder Than Hell”. The difference is, that one is guzzied up to fit a glammier approach, where this one is slowed down, heavier, and meant for the darker approach of Shout. They’re both great in their own respects, and I highly recommend listening to this track, if no other bonus songs. At the end of the day, though, the original full length is what I call an essential listening for all heavy metal goers. The old vinyl gate-fold with the pentagram cover is something that hits my turntable a lot. Beyond that, nothing more needs to be said.

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