Mötley Crüe

“Dogs of War” (Big Machine Records)
release date: 4/26/24
by Scott Deckman

“Dogs of War,” the band’s first release since canning Mick Mars, finds the fellows, as ever, trying to keep up with the times. I actually liked the group’s alt-rock attempt, Generation Swine. Though this is more generic dumb ’20s rock (when weren’t Mötley Crüe dumb?), where everything is overproduced and sounds similar to much of current mainstream rock radio, trying for a home run without the goods. The main riff sounds okay though (and even more so the accompanying, subdued riff in the beginning and middle of the song), a slice of Rob Zombie mixed with something or other (did I mentioned the identity of new guitarist John 5’s former employer?). The chorus, with an unironic, surely unintentional aping of U2’s “Acrobat,” will pump some Crüe fan fists, and overall, 5’s guitar features heavily, as would be expected. When you get older and more mature, you appreciate Nikki Sixx’s ability to write in different genres, to put aside the bandwagon-jumping he’s been accused of. But you do wish more of his choices struck gold, or even copper, instead of the quotidian.

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