Sixx A.M.: The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack

By Nikki Sixx (Eleven Seven Music)
By Michael McCarthy

So, yes, Nikki Sixx has published a book called The Heroin Diaries and this is the soundtrack. I should first point out that the book is a captivating if often gut-wrenching read that anyone who dug Mötley Crüe’s The Dirt should dig. What nobody seems to want to point out about this CD is that it’s a concept album. It sounds cooler to say it’s “the soundtrack” to a book because there’s no long history of soundtracks to books that suck, unlike concept albums. That said, Sixx should be proud because he and his two conspirators, vocalist and guitarist James Michael and guitarist DJ Ashba, may very well have written the best rock concept album to date. Seriously. This album takes you places. Makes you feel things. You start off with the sound of Sixx’s voice, narrating, strung out, on Christmas. He’s lost and going nowhere fast and you’re going with him, to the pitiful L.A. suburb of Van Nuys of all places. (My apologies to all you porn stars who call it home.) Yes, you go through some nasty shit with Sixx and you even – literally – get to die with him before he eventually he gets some help. But do you think recovery is easy? Hell no. “Accidents Can Happen,” as the song goes. And what a beautiful song it is. There are a lot of beautiful and otherwise inspired lyrics on this album – including those of the first single, “Life Is Beautiful” – but none so beautiful as “Accidents Can Happen,” a song about recovery and friendship. And making mistakes. Nobody’s perfect, and nobody seems to understand that better than Nikki Sixx. Accepting that would seem to be one of the things he learns to do by the time it’s all over, but I’m not here to promise you a happy ending, just a compelling ride full of great rock songs.
(www.sixxAMmusic.com)