Crazy Lixx - Street Lethal album review

Crazy Lixx - Street Lethal

Album review by; The Dark Cookie

Bands from Sweden seem to come from the polar opposite ends of the musical spectrum we call Heavy Metal. At the one end, the deepest darkest of extremes of Death Metal with the like of ENTOMBED and BATHORY grunting and growling and generally making a sound straight from the pits of hell. To the diametrically opposite position where every day is a bight new day on LA’s Sunset Strip, and the 80s are very much still THE thing with the likes of Hardcore Superstar and H.E.A.T. It is this shiny happy end of the spectrum CRAZY LIXX live. Definitely more Hair Metal than Death Metal, more holes in the ozone layer from all of those cans of hairspray than the sulphureous pits of hell conjuring up the devil.

It is definitely fair to say “Street Lethal” could have fallen through a crack in time from nineteen eighty something to today, just look at the cover of the album. It has straight to VHS, Kung-fu knock of the Karate Kid written all over it. I mean the intro track is even called “Enter The Dojo”, and sounds exactly like you would expect it to. But its parping synths lead us to the Rock ‘n’ Roll attack of “Rise Above”, a rabble-rousing, high-octane opener. You can see the coordinated guitar posing, you can imagine the crowds fists all pumping in the air whilst they sing along with the incredibly catchy chorus. Man, this song sets out the stall for the what follows.

Incredibly “Anthem For America” manages to both be a catchy as all heck banger and a political inditement.

Actually, I would suggest that in a lot of ways the bright, uplifting and upbeat music of CRAZY LIXX is exactly what we need at the moment. And one of the most uplifting messages of all is “The Power”, built on a pounding drumbeat, and another rousing sing-along, sorry woah-along chorus. “Reach Out” could not be happier 80 AOR/MOR rock song, the only thing it lacks, and I for one am so glad for that, is the truly terrible 80s, polished to within an inch of its life, and then smother in syrup production.

In fact, the sound is well balanced, clear and exactly right, everything is where it needs to be, the drums don’t sound sterile, there is bass, and the vocals sour sublimely over the top of everything. If is wasn’t right the slower paced instrumental “Final Fury” (another straight to video classic), would have sounded bad. As it is it is a bit of a throwaway incidental filler. We then get to the title track “Street Lethal”, and I’m sorry this is the one track that doesn’t wow me as much as others. I think it tries a bit too hard, too many ideas at once. I mean it isn’t bad by any metric, but is the least good.

However, I really like the strut and swagger of “Caught Between The Rock N’ Roll”, this one epitomizes the band for me, uplifting, amazing guitar solos, inspiring vocals and another sole stirring chorus. Oh, and the slide guitar work is tres cool.

And finally, we get there. The ballad. Hats off to Danny and the lads for only putting one on the album, and for keeping it upbeat and rousing. It works on every level. The harmonies, the positively, the riffs and soaring guitars, that drum sound. “In The Middle Of Nothing” is, as the 80s LA bands would have said, this is definitely CRAZY LIXX panty wetter!

“One Fire – One Goal!” sounds closest to me to the work Danny Rexon did with Chez Kayne, a layered sound, bags of harmonies and as feel-good as can be without falling over into evangelical, creating the 80s sound be with a light-touch.

Which only leaves “Thief In The Night” and what a what to end a record. Swirling wind into a fantastic almost bluesy guitar refrain that builds into a keys driven monster of a track.

All in all, this is a satisfying album. Yes it is light and uplifting, but there is substance there, and generally done with an almost clinical understanding of the music of the 80s, but never does it become sterile or just a facsimile of that era, simply distills the best bits and adds a bit of modern production and understanding to, mostly create a nearly perfect record. I can forgive their one slight misstep, I suspect it will grow on me over time, and I really hope to get to see CRAZY LIXX do their thing live soon!

4.5 out of 5

Track listing;

1. Enter The Dojo

2. Rise Above

3. Anthem For America

4. The Power

5.Reach Out

6. Final Fury

7. Street Lethal

8. Caught Between The Rock N’ Roll

9. In The Middle Of Nothing

10. One Fire – One Goal