NIKKI SIXX On Mixed Response To MÖTLEY CRÜE’s ‘Dogs Of War’ Single: ‘We Didn’t Really Ask For Any Input From You’

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In a recent interview with Janne Innanfors from the Swedish radio station Rockklassiker, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx discussed his humorous remark about the band’s new music being characterized as “a powerful cross between country and hip-hop.”

Nikki said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “When we were doing some interviews, when we were getting ready to drop the [‘Dogs Of War’] single, I said to Tommy [Lee], I said, ‘You know…’ ‘Cause we kept getting asked that question [about the sound of the new CRÜE music]. And I said, ‘Man,’ I go… I’m the most sarcastic human being I know. And that sometimes doesn’t always come across in a tweet or something. And I said we got so much media because it was such a lark, such a weird thing that was a joke. And I’m, like, God, that’s really kind of f**ked up where we’re at today. No media checked, nobody called the office and said, ‘What’s going on? I hear they got new music. It sounds like country and hip-hop.’

“I mean, everybody at the label and management company would have just started laughing. They would have gone, ‘You fell for one of Nikki‘s jokes.’ But the irony is, isn’t that how people get pressed now? People just love negativity. And I find it interesting. I don’t wanna play in to it, to be honest with you, but that was a fun one… People run with whatever they think they can get some juice out of, and it’s okay. Hey, if you’re talking about our band, that’s a good thing, negative or positive.”

Addressing the mixed reactions from MÖTLEY CRÜE fans to “Dogs Of War,” Nikki said: “We like the fact that there was kind of a knee-jerk reaction, because at least people were listening. It’s a very strange time now where, whether it’s a news cycle or socials, everybody has turned into a critic. And I always say, they’ve never erected a statue of a critic. It’s never happened, right? It’s always the artist. But now everybody’s a critic. So within a short amount of time, we get, ‘We love it.’ ‘We hate it.’ ‘You’re over.’ ‘You’ve reinvented yourself.’ ‘It sounds like ‘Shout At The Devil’. ‘It sucks.’ And we just kind of sit there and go, ‘That’s cool, guys, but we didn’t really ask for any input from you.’ We’re just artists writing music, and we’re pretty cool. I’m happy with it. I like it.”

MÖTLEY CRÜE released their latest single, “Dogs Of War,” on April 26 through their new partnership with Nashville’s Big Machine Records.

Over a year ago, MÖTLEY CRÜE worked with their longtime producer Bob Rock to record three fresh tracks, among them “Dogs Of War” and a rendition of the BEASTIE BOYS‘ “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!).”

In a recent interview with Metal Hammer, band’s frontman Vince Neil said about “Dogs Of War”: “I think it’s classic CRÜE, if you go back and listen to the first record [1981’s Too Fast For Love]. To me, it goes back to our roots. I think the fans are going to dig it. It’s a rock‘n’roll tune for partying, screamin’ and yellin’ along. That’s what MÖTLEY CRÜE is about anyway. It doesn’t seem like any time has passed. We’re still just a good rock ‘n’ roll band.”

As for what the song title means, he said: “We’re the ‘Dogs Of War’. We’re the b*stards. We’re in battle with everybody, all the time.”

The track stands out as the first studio display for John 5, who took over the role of guitarist from the longstanding Mick Mars in 2022. He introduces himself with a blistering virtuoso shred solo.