Mötley Crüe
New Tattoo

THE REVIEW

NEW TATTOO (20/06/2000, MOTLEY RECORDS)

Abandoning industrial experiments, Motley Crue return to the sound of their origins, delivering an excellent album that encapsulates the typical themes of the glam movement, namely sex, drugs, rebellion, and urban life adventures.

Tommy Lee leaves the band to dedicate himself to a rap-metal project, Methods of Mayhem (creators of a mediocre self-titled album and, despite themselves, protagonists of a fierce protest at the 2000 Gods Of Metal), but he is promptly replaced by Randy Castillo, former drummer for Ozzy Osbourne. Vince Neil's voice unmistakably becomes sleazy, Nikki Sixx doesn't hesitate to showcase his crystalline class on the bass, and Mick Mars returns with solid riffs and roaring solos.
The first single released, “Hell on high heels” is accompanied by a sarcastic and irreverent video created in collaboration with Champ Chaos studio (known for their satire on Metallica during the Napster case, again in collaboration with the Crue). “New Tattoo” debuts at position #41 on the American charts, literally flooding rock-oriented radios in the United States. This new work abundantly surpasses the quality of the last two studio efforts, gifting us tracks that ooze the desire for redemption, like the sharp “First band on the moon” and “Fake”, a song highlighted by a ruthless text where the Crue damn the music industry while maintaining a sardonic grin. Added to this are two beautiful ballads called “New Tattoo” and “Hollywood Ending” in which Vince's voice guides us through a tale of love, blood, and nostalgia in the city of angels.

There are also the usual hard-hitting tracks like “Porno Star” (featuring collaborations with two real American porn stars, Syren and Julie Meadows) and “Hell on high heels”. Every piece of this work is drenched in 100% Motley sound and shines with that brilliance that only the most genuine hard rock can emanate. We can finally start to smile again: the pessimism hovering over the last two studio works has been obliterated, destroyed by a sonic storm that once again sings the joys of sex and life. Vince, Mick, Nikki, and Randy simply walk into a recording studio and, without futilely chasing the sounds of the moment, give birth to an album that represents what they have always fought for: rock n’ roll, dirty, hard, played with soul.

“New Tattoo” is a great gift for all lovers of the purest and most untouched hard and heavy, and memorable tracks like “She needs rock n’ roll”, “Treat me like the dog I am”, “Dragstrip Superstar”, or the stunning cover of the Tubes’ “White punks on dope”, only confirm what has been said before: Motley is back, and they have finally given birth to a worthy successor to their masterpiece “Dr. Feelgood” (1989).

In this album, you may not find a single of the caliber of “Wild Side” or “Smokin’ in the boy’s room”, but listening to “New Tattoo” track by track, you will understand that after years of crisis, the Crue have managed to crawl out of the tunnel, releasing an irresistibly rock album.

(Enrico Rosticci)

TRACK LIST:

01) HELL ON HIGH HEELS
02) TREAT ME LIKE THE DOG I AM
03) NEW TATTOO
04) DRAGSTRIP SUPERSTAR
05) FIRST BAND ON THE MOON
06) SHE NEEDS ROCK N’ ROLL
07) PUNCHED IN TEETH BY LOVE
08) HOLLYWOOD ENDING
09) FAKE
10) PORNO STAR
11) WHITE PUNKS ON DOPE
12) TIMEBOMB
13) FIRST BAND ON THE MOON (DEMO) - Japanese version
14) PORNO STAR (DEMO) - Japanese version