Lixx are a band I first saw back in the ’80s at the now sadly missed Venue in Edinburgh, have a new album out, following on from the re-release of the band’s ’80s debut album Loose On You on American label Demon Doll Records in 2018. That release sparked a lot of renewed interest in the band and with several high energy gigs under their belts, the band hit the studio, and the long-awaited new album Diamond Star Halo is out now on Gathering Storm Records.
We start with “Long Way” as the guitar kicks in followed by the rhythm section of Steevo on drums and Robin on bass and then the growl of Joe on vocals kicks in to carry you along in true bouncing rock ‘n’ roll style. The production of this album is leaps and bounds ahead of their debut with a real full-on sound that you really hear on the solo section from Nazz on guitar. A stunning start to the album.
The band are “On a Wave” with the second track as this foot-tapper gets your head going with its full-on groove. I love the way the guitar takes you along on this track and Joe’s vocals having fully matured with age. There’s a bit of a nod to Iggy Pop with his vocals and the bounce of this track. The guitar intro and vocals of “In for the Kill” remind me of Hanoi Rocks with the vibe of the guitar, bass and drums, plus the raw vocals from Joe. This album just gets better and better. Steevo the drummer just lays down a stunning rhythm on this track, ably backed up by Robin on bass.
The drums and bass also kick us off on “All the Wrong Reasons” as Nazz on guitar creates a pulsing riff all the way through that is just pure rock ‘n’ roll. The band may have lost all the ’80s hair but the ion and fire are still there, if not more so, especially on this track.
We get to “Turn it On” with a vibe which is more set back in the ’80s and its rhythm has nods to Hanoi Rocks and early Faster Pussycat. This is an album to get you bouncing all over the room. The Sweet-like drum intro takes us into “Like About You” and there’s a ’70s vibe going on with the drums and bass leading the way, along with handclaps and Joe’s gravel-like voice taking us back in time to a great era in music. The crunching guitars and drums kick off in style with “Come On”, a crushing fast-paced rocker of a track with its sing-along chorus. You can just see the front rows headbanging to this when it gets played live. This would have had The Venue absolutely bouncing back in the day. The “Thrill of it All” takes us on another bouncing joyride of rock ‘n’ roll, again with the Hanoi meets Pussycat brought up to date, I’m exhausted just listening to it. I can’t wait to hear this album live. The soft acoustic intro to the album closer fools you as it launches into “I Wish I Could Be”, which has a bit more of a punk rock vibe to it but is all the more fun for it.
This is a nine-track rock ‘n’ roll gem of an album. When these songs get played live the venues will be bouncing and headbanging. There are not many albums out that get me really going but Scotland is producing some amazing talent at the moment and with quality albums like this, the music scene is still in a safe place. If you like your Hanoi Rocks and Faster Pussycat with some Iggy Pop and Sweet thrown in, then this is the album and band for you. You can get the album from the boys’ Bandcamp here and can also check out the videos for the tracks “Long Way” and new single “I Wish I Could Be”. The boys will be touring again soon hopefully, so catch them when they come near you and get ready to have a great time.
Diamond Star Hero is out now
Lixx: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | bandcamp
