Michael Monroe's 'I Live too Fast to Die Young' - Album Review

Although the Finnish punk rock/glam metal pioneer Michael Monroe started his solo career back in 1987 with the release of Nights Are So Long, I think it is fair to say that his fortunes as a solo artist have improved significantly in the past decade. Monroe, who of course is known for being the frontman of the genre-defying and hugely influential Hanoi Rocks throughout much of the 1980s and the 2000s, has only really established himself as a true solo performer in recent years - with his solo career up to 2010 often being fairly low key or taking a back seat to whichever band he was fronting at the time, be that Hanoi Rocks, Jerusalem Slim, or Demolition 23. With Hanoi Rocks calling it a day for the final time in 2009, though, Monroe decided once and for all to strike out on his own - and launched his current solo project in 2010. Three of the four musicians that joined Monroe from the off still remain, and as such there has been a real consistency in both sound and quality throughout the albums that he has put out since 2010 - which was kickstarted by the rough and ready live album Another Night in the Sun: Live in Helsinki. Despite Monroe's name being on the albums, though, the current band is just that: an actual band. Monroe has often made this clear in interviews, and this is likely why the quality of the albums has generally been more consistent than his older solo albums - which often featured a disparate collection of musicians that were purely following Monroe's vision. Monroe is clearly the face of his solo project, and he remains a high-octane performer, but I think it is fair to say that the rest of the band often drive things from a creative standpoint. Monroe has never been a prolific songwriter, with Andy McCoy writing much of Hanoi Rocks' material, and he seems more than happy to allow his band to come up with much of the material for his albums. This was not so much the case early on, but from 2015's Blackout States (which I reviewed here) onwards Monroe has contributed much less to the albums from a songwriting perspective. His last album, 2019's One Man Gang (which I also reviewed here), only featured one song written by Monroe - but due to the aforementioned band feel of Monroe's solo career and his distinctive vocal style this barely seems to matter. Guitarist Steve Conte, bassist Sami Yaffa, and drummer Karl Rockfist have all been playing with Monroe since 2010 - with guitarist Rich Jones joining the band in 2014. Despite being the newest member, though, Jones seems to really be driving the Michael Monroe band these days. His songwriting dominated Blackout States and One Man Gang - as it also does on Monroe's latest album I Live too Fast to Die Young, which was released last month. All but two songs here are written by Jones (two of which were co-written with Monroe), with one being written by Conte and the other being a collaboration between Monroe and Mickey Crane - and is a re-working of a song by Crane's band Crystal Extasy.

Sound-wise, I Live too Fast to Die Young is exactly what you would expect from Monroe - for the most part. It is an album that is characterised by its fast pace, its punk attitude, and its anthemic choruses - but there are occasional deviations, too, which see the band take more of a moodier direction. The album kicks off in familiar fashion, though, with the up-tempo single Murder the Summer of Love. Yaffa's bass dominates the early portion of the song, before a muscular riff kicks in - driving things with its upbeat blues/punk vibe. The verses are perhaps not quite as in-your-face, but they still hit hard. Gang vocal shouts punctuate Monroe's leads, and the snappy riffing that sits below this vocal interplay is tight and melodic. The song really comes alive during its chorus, though, which is anthemic in Monroe's traditional fashion. He has a knack for a hooky chorus melody, and the vocal lines here are very memorable. The song is sure to become a live favourite thanks to its stadium-worthy chorus, whilst a relatively slow-burning bridge section slows the pace a little before a short, high-octane guitar solo. Young Drunks & Old Alcoholics is similar, but the 1970s glam rock side of Monroe's sound is pushed to the fore this time. It is still a fast track, but it is not quite as muscular as the opening cut, with chiming guitar lines and the occasional power pop vocal harmony sitting atop the band's usual punky riffing and driving bass. It is a very easy song to latch onto as a result, and it is a track that boils down all of Monroe's key sounds into one digestible chunk. The chorus is another memorable moment, with a punchy hook that sticks in the brain, but in truth the whole song is very easy to enjoy - and it is clear that a lot of thought has been put into ensuring that the song as a whole is memorable, and that no note is wasted. Derelict Palace changes things up, though, and goes for a moodier sound that seems to be inspired quite significantly by 1980s goth music. Yaffa's bass is the main instrument throughout, with his pulsing playing driving the whole song, whilst Jones and Conte add colour - either through chiming guitar leads or effects-heavy chords. There are guitar lines here that remind me of bands like Sisters of Mercy or Fields of the Nephilim, but the music is never as abrasive or oppressive with Monroe's accessible vocals keeping the song grounded. This is not a sound that Monroe has significantly toyed with before, too, but in my opinion the experiment works well. Despite having a core sound, he has occasionally taken a left turn on his recent albums, and Derelict Palace is one such effort here - with the atmospheric song adding a different dimension to the album. All Fighter very much gets the album back on track as far as its core sound goes, though, as it ups the energy levels again significantly. It is easily the most punk and high-energy song so far, with Monroe delivering the lyrics in his usual snappy manner - whilst the guitarists lay down machine gun patterns that are aided by Rockfist's busy snare rolls. An anthemic chorus slows the pace a little, but the band-focused vocal approach ensures that the punk vibe is retained.

Everybody's Nobody slows the pace somewhat, and the track is more of a mid-paced hard rocker - which again channels quite a big 1970s glam rock influence. There is a lot more room throughout the song for flashier guitar playing, too. The guitar playing throughout the album is mostly riff-focused, but there is a lot more going on this time - with a soaring intro lead setting the tone for the rest of the track. As such, the piece is much more overtly melodic. Monroe has always had a pop side, and that is very much on display here - with a chorus hook that sticks in the brain. He even throws in a short harmonica solo, which segues nicely into a fluid and melodic guitar solo - which is quite different from the bursts of energy which are present elsewhere. Antisocialite is another slower track, but it is very different in tone to Derelict Palace. Antisocialite is instead a rather typical ballad, which reminds me a little of some of David Bowie's slower songs from the early 1970s. It features a piano backing from Lenni-Kalle Taipale, which forms the basis of the track, whilst the guitars atop to be acoustic to add depth. The rhythm section add some grooves, but in truth this is a song that really allows Monroe to shine as a singer. There is less of his usual grit here, with his performance being much more overtly melodic to fit in with the song's more organic nature. The combination of the piano and the acoustic guitars works well to back him, though, and the song is a memorable one thanks to it taking a different path. Can't Stop Falling Apart also features Taipale's piano, but it is used in a much different manner. The song is an upbeat hard rocking track with some 1950s rock 'n' roll guitar moments and a barroom piano backing - all wrapped up in a punk vibe with a big band-led chorus vocally. It is another song that is very easy to latch onto as there are so many great hooks throughout. The guitar solo sees the band's two guitarists trading licks, and they both tap into the song's 1950s overtones, whilst the piano adds a depth that helps it to stand out. Pagan Prayer is Conte's sole writing contribution to the album, but it is one of the fastest tracks here - and easily the most punky cut. After a couple of songs with a different vibe, Pagan Prayer really gets back to Monroe's core sound in a big way. Yaffa's bass powers through the mix, whilst Rockfist gets a real workout behind his drum kit. Monroe's voice sounds at its most visceral here, too. He has always had a snarl to him, but songs like this really bring the best out of him. His voice has barely aged since his early days with Hanoi Rocks, and this track is one that perhaps showcases his harder rock side the best. A brief, slower mid-section only ups the heaviness, too, with some slower-paced riffs that pour out of the speakers with real venom - before a final reprise of the hard-driving chorus sees the song come to a close.

No Guilt is much more atmospheric, but it is not exactly another ballad - instead being a mid-paced rocker with a bit more of a moody vibe. There is some great lead guitar playing throughout the song to help set the tone and provide some melodic hooks, whilst much of the rest of the guitar playing adds colour. There are fewer big riffs here, but there are occasions where the guitars rock things up somewhat. These are rare though, with the bass instead creating most of the weight. There is more of that 1970s glam rock feel on display here, too, and there is another melodic solo fits nicely with the chiming melodies and overall atmospheric feel of the piece. The album's title track follows, and it is the last real high-energy song here. It features the guitar playing of Slash (Guns N' Roses; Slash's Snakepit; Velvet Revolver) throughout, although he is largely featured as a soloist. The song's solo is impressive, then, but the song in general is typical of Monroe's punky, yet poppy, sound. Occasional slower moments add colour, but these are few in number - with the song in general being a hard rocker. Songs like this have made Monroe's recent solo albums what they are and at this point are to be expected. It has a very simple chorus which will definitely go down well live, and its overall anthemic vibe makes it another memorable cut on an album that is full of strong moments. Slash does not overpower the song, either, as his playing fits in perfectly with the brevity of the piece in general. The album then comes to a close with Dearly Departed, the aforementioned reworking of an old Crystal Extasy song - whom I believe Monroe previously produced. The song is quite different from the rest of the album, and it is easily the slowest piece here. Whereas Antisocialite was more of a typical piano-led slower piece, Dearly Departed is very atmospheric - and features little in the way of traditional instrumentation. Much of the backing appears to be synths, although guitar chords add colour whilst Monroe sings over this sparse, yet enveloping, backing in a slightly odd way. It is not the sort of song that I expect from Monroe, and I am not sure that the experiment has really worked. His voice does not really suit the song in my opinion, and it does not make use of the band much at all. Songs like Derelict Palace showcase an atmospheric sound more successfully in my opinion, and Dearly Departed sadly ends the album on a bit of a downer - being the weakest track here for me. Despite this, though, I Live too Fast to Die Young is generally a very strong album. There are a lot of tracks here to like, many of which are very much within Monroe's core wheelhouse. There are diversions from this core sound, but a fast, punky track is never too far away - and the album is another solid entry into his recent catalogue which continues to impress.

The album was released on 10th June 2022 via Silver Lining Music. Below is Monroe's promotional video for Everybody's Nobody.