Back when Malmö group Crazy Lixx released ‘Anthem for America’ in 2021, they claimed in what appears to be a dig at the USA that they “used to be the greatest rock ‘n’ roll nation in the world” and “clearly can’t make stuff like this themselves, so someone has to do it for them”. They couldn’t be more correct as it’s been Europe leading the charge with bands like Midnite City (UK), Cobra Spell (Netherlands), Wig Wam (Sweden) and more at the centre of glam rock/hair metal’s revival. Many music types have faded with time but like most sub-genres of rock and metal, it always finds a way to come back from the dead thanks to fans and bands’ dedication. So, without further ado, let’s turn the clocks back and relive the 80s like never before.
Once you’ve completed your teleportation, opening song ‘Highway Hurricane’ is an instant memory refresher to make sure that you’re ready to enjoy your past self. The saying of “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll” was practically in almost every young glam rock fan’s everyday vocabulary back then and this tune sums it all up in which topics of explicit love prevailed. Although the lyrics have a sexual message to them like most sleaze hits did “Get on top baby, let me take you for a hell of a ride”, it’s got the exact feel of the title. Fast and aggressive drumming with grinding riffs and soaring vocals gives an irresistible feeling of firing up your old muscle car and bombing it down an empty highway until its tires burn to shreds.
‘Who Said Rock ‘N’ Roll is Dead’ reinforces the band’s message of trying to keep a sub-genre alive, as mentioned earlier, where no matter what stands in its way, you can’t bring it down “They tried their best but never succeeded”. Not only do they make that clear in their lyrics, but sonically, they follow all the characteristics of hair metal to the core without modernising it at all. Danny Rexon’s Bon Jovi-like raspy voice and anthemic backing vocals in choruses is highly contagious while some raw, melodic power chords by Chrisse Olsson and Jens Lundgren confirm that our journey wasn’t a waste. On drums, Robin Nilsson rolls back the years playing comfortable beats with a kit tuned just like the old days in which snares have a snappy tone full of reverb, ride cymbal notes ring out in long spurts and kick hits contain a hollow punch. Trying to bring a classic style back to life gives little room for error and it’s very easy to botch but Crazy Lixx don’t put a foot wrong.
‘Little Miss Dangerous’ is where Crazy Lixx expose their rebellious side with a throwback to your classic track about a femme fatale portrayed as a ‘bad’ girl using her beauty to enchant and deceive, “She’s got something that your eyes can’t see – Oh yeah!, Not the whole picture, know what I mean?”. The video speaks for itself with scenes alternating between a graveyard and strip club where band members get their desires fulfilled by seductively dangerous women who could also be voodoo. Danny’s charisma and charm featuring a slick haircut with shades on is bound to get front row fans bawling.
After warming listeners up, Crazy Lixx have had enough of messing about as they quicken the pace with ‘Call of the Wild,’ which is the fastest track of Thrill of the Bite. Robin Nilsson ups his game by relentlessly pounding the drums like his life depended on it with rock-solid timing while Jens and Chrisse put their heart and souls behind producing crunchy harmonies. Danny also joins in on the action by adding extra authority to his vocal phrasing without losing that husky touch, as he doesn’t need tons of power to enhance his presence.
However, Crazy Lixx aren’t done yet when it comes to creativity because when there isn’t an official video for a tune, they might as well do it themselves so take a step back Hollywood and let them take care of business. If there’s a band that can marry music to imagery, then these guys are going to need serious competition. Throughout their career, the Swedish rockers have made a habit of editing scenes of cult classics and picking out which one goes well with each part of a song and they’ve beautifully mastered that art. In this tune’s case, they’ve grabbed bits from ‘The Lost Boys’ and it flows like a storyline with a clear plot that anyone can follow seamlessly.
As usual in most glam rock albums, you’ll get a ballad or slow song at the halfway point and that’s exactly what happens here. Remember, smart phones didn’t exist so make sure that your lighters have plenty of gas to be waved for the next 4.5 minutes. Robin goes nice and easy with grooves that one can happily vibe to while cuddling their partner on Valentine’s Day under a moonlit sky as Chrisse and Jens whip out joyous melodies to reignite memories of our first kisses. Danny may not have a sweet texture to his singing, but romanticism manages to find its way through the roughness which is what makes this special. Although ‘Recipe for Revolution’ comes across in a light-hearted way, it’s about voices of the forgotten who have been outcast in a rundown city “We are the lost and persecuted/The victims of the streets” and are ready to put up a fight for their existence to be acknowledged “They can take away our lives/But they will never break us all”.
After a cooling break, normal service is resumed with back-to-back fast tracks to headbang to until you rupture a nerve in your neck (‘Run Run Wild’ and ‘Midnight Rebels’). Apart from sex which we all know is a prevalent theme in sleaze, rebellion is another popular one and for those who got a reputation as the biggest troublemaker in school, then this is your anthem. It’s got all the ingredients to form an imagination of a group of lads cast out for their music taste and are now ready to roll up on their motorbikes, causing all sorts of chaos, whether it be doing doughnuts at roundabouts or fighting at pubs “Livin’ on the edge/We’re breaking all the rules”.
Danny’s bad boy figure comes to life as he exposes all the dark secrets of being a rockstar in them days with a little bit of a mischievous tone to his singing while Jens and Chrisse go old-school, strumming away at their precious instruments full of cheeky riffs and harmonies that can get a smile out of a shy listener. Robin also can’t resist feeling like a youngster and unleashes simple but memorable patterns that no one forgets in a hurry.
Unlike many albums that run out of steam and get repetitive, Thrill of the Bite keeps its spark alight throughout. Songs may sound similar, but they don’t get boring and each transition to a new one is as smooth as seasons changing. The band keeps their energy levels high too and nothing comes across as tired or forced. Many factors including matching sound to thoughts as well as investing in a mix replicating the past also play a part in retaining listener engagement. Due to the record quality being almost identical to what this genre sounded like many decades ago, listening on a good system is recommended in order not to miss any raw details.
‘Hunt for Danger’ is a prime example where once again, Crazy Lixx slow things down again at the right time to preserve overkill as we’re treated to a mid-tempo hit which has that chart-topping love song feel to it despite being about someone trying to live life to the max but at the same time flirts with ‘danger’ through destructive habits “I tried but still I hunt for danger”.
The only criticism towards this record is that if they’ve played glam metal/rock trait by trait, then solos throughout could be a bit longer as it makes a massive difference in how complete something feels if a tune has been done justice.
Crazy Lixx have proved that through hard work and dedication from both bands and fans, you simply can’t kill rock ‘n’ roll when done correctly. Therefore, it’s safe to say that this sub-genre is here to stay. Thrill of the Bite was released on February 14 2025 via Frontiers Records.
