By Stephen Kasenda
MOTLEY CRUE "Shout At The Devil" (1983)
"Shout At The Devil" was the sophomore release by Motley Crue, following their punk/glam-inspried debut "Too Fast For Love". “Shout At The Devil” boosted their name to the sky, and introduced a heavier and darker side of the band. This highly anticipated record thrust their name to stardom when it was released in 1983, on the strength of the mystical anthem, "Shout At The Devil" and the fierce groove of "Looks That Kill". At that time, Nikki Sixx was deeply drawn to books about black magic and the occult, giving him the idea for the pentagram art and the album’s title. But after weird things began to happen around their house, he was spooked and dropped the Satanic ideas, moving on to his expertise - sex, drugs, and violence.
While their later release, "Dr. Feelgood", was their most successful creation, racking up six platinum stars and also being my big favorite, "Shout" - in my opinion - should be considered their magnum opus. Crue showed their true identity with the raw rampaging riffs and the bad attitude, constructing a perfect combination of shock rock, glam, and heavy metal. Listen to the fast-paced adrenaline-pumper "Red Hot" and "Bastard", the catchy "Too Young To Fall In Love", or the magnificent rendition of Beatles' "Helter Skelter", you'll know how Motley Crue shaped the decade. Great entertainment!
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