Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Brides of Destruction - Here Come the Brides - DVD-audio - Sanctuary Records 2004 reviewed by: Nailer

Track Listing1. Shut the Fuck Up 2. I Don't Care 3. I Got a Gun 4. 2 Times Dead 5. Brace Yourself 6. Natural Born Killers 7. Life 8. Revolution 9. Only Get So Far

Before you can say, "Crue Reunion?" 3 times fast, Nikki Sixx and his new L.A. band "Brides of Destruction" closed the door on the sticky Hollywood dreams of his former bandmates who show up more on TV than on records and opened the window to a hard rock personality of it's own. It's the window next to the alley where the views are less glam and more of the seedier section of town.

THE DISC:
The BoD DVD-audio from Silverline Records, who has also done projects for Queen, Alice Cooper, Bruce Dickinson, Motorhead and many others, isn't really a seperate collectable media piece on its own, but more of a CD suppliment. You get menu options for the songs and a video option with "Shut the F*ck Up" and a Band Documentary with each band member discussing how they got into BoD. Selecting the Playlist option, each track is played along with a wallpaper-displayed image of the band.

"DVD-Audio is an extension of the highly popular DVD format, distinguished by its capability for delivering a new standard of quality previously unavailable in packaged audio media. A highly compelling feature of DVD-Audio is its multichannel audio capability, which is proving to be optimal in an automotive environment. DVD-Audio also includes a host of value-added multimedia features not previously available on compact disc...Ffr example, the slide show feature allows the producer to provide a visual display of song lyrics, original album art, artist images and biographies, and much more. DVD-Audio discs can also include video material, such as music videos or concert footage, mastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound." --Silverline Records' Website

THE MUSIC:
Joining the ever-outspoken Nikki is LA Guns alumni guitarist Tracii Guns, drummer Scot Coogan and relatively unknown vocalist London LeGrand. Right from the start, BoD goes for the bad boy image with the antagonistically titled "Shut the Fuck Up". It's stripped down guitars set the pace for the rest of the CD musically. After throwing some punky sass into the first cut, London steals the show by infusing each track with great vocal leads that are less about wide range and more about interesting tone and delivery. He adds abrasiveness to "I Got a Gun", a great draw/sneer to "2 Times Dead" an Axl Rose quality to chorus parts of "Revolution". The backing music is never a step above street utilitarian and too raw to take advantage of the full capabilities of DVD-Audio, but London adds enough vocal talent to give this release a commercial quality to its grittiness.

Of a somewhat short 9 song set, there’s no obvious clinkers in the bunch. With half of the numbers being all about male attitude and the other half full of positive sentiment there could be an appeal to an audience that likes some excess mixed with their advice--re: male AND female listeners. Best cuts are "I Don't Care"--an infectious rocker with searing guitar from Guns, "Brace Yourself", the fantastic "Life" and the true L.A. bravado of "Natural Born Killers" with the boastfully sexual line "Let me be your one and only cockstar".

Now if I only had that surround sound...

Score: 7.5 of 10

--Nailer 07.28.04
Brides of Destruction - Here Come the Brides - Sanctuary Records 2004 reviewed by: Nailer

Track Listing1. Shut the Fuck Up 2. I Don't Care 3. I Got a Gun 4. 2 Times Dead 5. Brace Yourself 6. Natural Born Killers 7. Life 8. Revolution 9. Only Get So Far

I've heard Nikki Sixx promoting his new band, Brides of Destruction", for a while now but I didn't think it would see the light of the day much less get a major release going in 2004 on Sanctuary Records. Joining him is LA Guns alumni guitarist Tracii Guns, drummer Scot Coogan and relatively unknown vocalist London LeGrand. Before you can say, "Kickstart My Heart", let me note that BoD is its own hard rock personality rather than a reincarnation of Motley Crue that many would like to hear.

Right from the start, BoD goes for the bad boy image with the antagonistically titled "Shut the Fuck Up". It's stripped down guitars set the pace for the rest of the CD musically, but I think it's release is more about attention and image creation because it's not one of the better songs on the disc. What it does do is introduce the real star of the show and its neither of the legendary boys from L.A.--it's lead singer London LeGrand.

After throwing some punky sass into the first cut, London infuses each track with great vocal leads that are less about wide range and more about interesting tone and delivery. He adds abrasiveness to "I Got a Gun", a great draw/sneer to "2 Times Dead" an Axl Rose quality to chorus parts of "Revolution". The backing music is never a step above street utilitarian, but London adds enough vocal talent to give this release a commercial quality to its grittiness.

Of a somewhat short 9 song set, there’s no obvious clinkers in the bunch. With half of the numbers being all about male attitude and the other half full of positive sentiment there could be an appeal to an audience that likes some excess mixed with their advice--re: male AND female listeners. Best cuts are "I Don't Care"--an infectious rocker with searing guitar from Guns, "Brace Yourself", the fantastic "Life" and the true L.A. bravado of "Natural Born Killers" with the boastfully sexual line "Let me be your one and only cockstar".

Motley has been dead for a decade and Brides is quality enough to shoo the ghost away. If my own rock scale puts the last big attempt at hard rock stardom, Beautiful Creatures' debut at a 7.5 and the classic Guns 'n Roses "Appetite for Destruction" at a 10, then BoD would be a solid 8.

Bottom Line: The debut from Brides of Destruction, "Here Come the Brides", is stripped down guitar rock with the set of balls that the rock scene needs.

Score: 8 of 10

--Nailer 03.08.04