Crazy Lixx is one of the few bands of the 21st century glam metal revival to pump out a catalog that goes toe to toe with the finest acts of the genre’s original wave in the 80s. Songs like “Hell Raising Women”, “21 ‘Til I Die”, and “Girls of the 80’s” fit in on any glamster’s party playlist. Yes, nearly 20 odd years and 7 full length albums into their existence, Crazy Lixx have enough gems under their belt for their own “Greatest Hits” release. And the hits keep comin’ with the release of their latest album, Street Lethal.
Ardent followers of Def Leppard’s more is more approach, Crazy Lixx have unleashed yet another jaw dropping display of 80s rock n’ roll. Street Lethal continues to veer off into the AOR direction showcased on their last two albums, Ruff Justice (2017) and Forever Wild (2019), but fear not my fellow big-haired hellraisers. These Swedish savants of all things old school continue to put the “glam” in “glam metal”, and sometimes even the “metal” in “glam metal”. Take for instance “Rise Above” and the title track: Two high velocity displays of euro steel in the grand tradition of Judas Priest.
When they aren’t bringing down the heavy metal hammer, Crazy Lixx can serve up some piping hot melodic hard rock like it’s nobody’s business. Cuts like “Anthem for America” and “Thief in the Night” recall the aforementioned glory days of Def Leppard, as well as Quiet Riot if they were able to keep up the Metal Health formula into the second half of the 80s. There’s big riffs, big drums, big hooks, big melodies, and most importantly, big choruses. Crazy Lixx is a chorus-centric band at heart, so much so that I’m getting a sense they write their choruses first and build from there. Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
The musical “cherry on top” are the touches of AOR throughout. By no mean are Crazy Lixx AOR revivalists on the scale of The Night Flight Orchestra or Station, but they could be if they wanted to. “Reach Out” is the type of uplifting AOR that would make genre stalwart Stan Bush proud, especially with its empowering lyrics. “In the Middle of Nothing” checks off the obligatory power ballad box and I must give Crazy Lixx major props for keeping the power ballad count at one. Any more than that could potentially derail such a high energy affair, defined by the likes of the groovy, swaggering “Caught Between the Rock ‘n’ Roll”, or the shout-along jubilation of “One Fire – One Goal”.
Some fans are going as far to label Street Lethal the strongest Crazy Lixx release yet, but these same fans tend to do so every time they drop a new album. I can’t blame them. There’s no shortage of 80s worshippers and wannabes out there. Crazy Lixx evokes the same goosebumps-inducing effect as H.E.A.T. and Crashdïet, in that it’s easier to believe they’re actually from the 80s than merely reproducing it. Maybe they are. Don’t worry boys. Your secret is safe with me.
9 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: Glam Metal
For fans of: Def Leppard, Skid Row, Quiet Riot