SIXX:A.M. – The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack: 10th Anniversary Edition

Albums Reviews

SIXX:A.M. – The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack: 10th Anniversary Edition

The infamous and highly talented Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue) published his drug-riddled memoir entitled "The Heroin Diaries" ten years ago, which was a compelling yet disturbing journey into madness, despair, and abuse, but it was also a story about hope, recovery and redemption. The biography, or diary, if you will, was rather hard to absorb and digest in that it was downright unpleasant at times and I remember feeling almost voyeristic in places while reading it. It was as if I was witnessing something that I was not supposed to be watching, if that makes sense. Nikki’s solo outfit SIXX:A.M. wrote and recorded an album that basically chronicles the same events as the book does albeit by means of music and lyrics, obviously. Each of the thirteen songs that constitute the album corrosponds to a chapter in the book, but the record can easily be listened to and enjoyed on its own. Still, it truly does pack an emotional punch when one is familiar with the content of the book, so my advice to you is simply to immerse yourself in Nikki’s memoir first and then listen intensely to "The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack" immediately afterwards.

Featuring James Michael on vocals and former Guns N’ Roses guitarist DJ Ashba, "The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack" is a well-written and emotionally engaging affair that rarely loses momentum. The tunes are memorable and contain a lot of great melodies and hooks, but they are also quite layered and textured, which entails that one can keep listening to them over and over again only to discover interesting nuances and details every time. The musicianship is excellent and the production is pretty damn solid too. The songs are both inspired and inspiring, and they walk that fine line between being utterly depressing and wonderfully uplifting. There is something strangely life-affirming about Nikki’s narrative despite it being so goddamn unsettling and bleak at times, simply because it is the tale of a survivor and of one who was eventually able to shake off the chains with which he was bound. That is a beautiful thing in and of itself, folks. Cuts such as "Van Nuys", "Pray for Me", "Dead Man’s Ballet", and "Girl With Golden Eyes" are truly haunting and moving. "Life is Beautiful" and "Tomorrow" also stand out. The songs range from intimate and mellow to all-out explosive and bombastic. A diverse and dynamic record for sure. On top of that, it still sounds modern and current, which is awesome.

This anniversary edition of "The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack" contains three bonus tracks, namely re-worked versions of "Life is Beautiful", "Accidents Can Happen", and "Girl With Golden Eyes", all of which are cool, but the original album already has a certain vibe and feel to it in place that is captivating and the aforementioned bonus songs add very little to the whole thing. If you missed out on "The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack" the first time around, you obviously need to check this expanded re-issue out ASAP.

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