CRAZY LIXX “Riot Avenue” /CD/

The third full-length album by the Swedish Glam Metal band.
Over the last few years or so, it seems that Sweden – traditionally known for its contribution to the more Extreme realms of Metal – has experienced somewhat of a Hair Metal revival. Some of it has been quite horrible, however, quite a lot of it has been beyond excellent; and falling into this later camp, along with veterans Harcore Superstar and the insanely awesome Crashdiet, is Malmo’s Crazy Lixx. The band’s third album, doesn’t quite match up to their previous offering, the outstanding "New Religion" (2010), but that’s only because that album was so damn good, and otherwise "Riot Avenue" is another great release from one of the scene’s best and most exciting bands. 
"Riot Avenue," for all its gloss and polish, sees the band taking a much more reserved, Bluesy, Hard Rock approach to their music, as opposed to the huge Bubblegum, Pop-Metal anthems of "New Religion" and "Loud Minority." AC/DC seems to be of particular influence, specifically on “Young Blood” and “In The Night", whose main riff and bass break may as well have been lifted directly from “Let there Be Rock". All the while though, the Swedes blend this new aesthetic with their tried and true, Mötley Crüe, Punk Rock, street imagery and Def Leppard quality song writing and production to create something that is at once so camp and so sincere. The songs are, for the most part, entirely predictable and beyond overblown.
There’s just so much energy and excitement packed into the album, that the familiar predictability of the songs actually works to its advantage; continuously titillating the listener while all the time guaranteeing a huge, if comfortable, payoff. 
"Riot Avenue" may not be the most creative or original of releases, but it isn’t meant to be. What it’s meant to be is a celebration of this kind of music and above all fun, and in this respect it delivers in spades. If you’ve ever enjoyed anything by Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Skid Row or anything of that ilk, then "Riot Avenue" is not to be missed!!
Frontiers Records, 2012 (FR CD 549). Used: good.


Tracklist:
1. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot 3:42
2. Young Blood 3:47
3. Riot Avenue 3:58
4. Fire It Up 3:40
5. Downtown 5:06
6. In The Night 4:27
7. Church Of Rock 3:55
8. Heatseeker 3:03
9. Sweet, Bad & Beautiful 3:46
10. Be Gone 3:38
11. Only The Dead Know 6:19
Total playing time: 45:21


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