Looks That Kill

Hey there, Zoo Freaks, your hippie DJs at THE ZOO are cranking up the vibes with Mötley Crüe's Looks That Kill from their killer 1983 album Shout at the Devil! This track is a straight-up glam metal banger, written by bassist Nikki Sixx, and it’s got some wild stories behind it. Did you know the song’s music video was Mötley Crüe’s first big splash on MTV? Shot at A&M Records’ main sound stage, it features the band in a post-apocalyptic setup, caging a group of women before a warrior queen, played by Wendy Barry, flips the script and leaves a flaming pentagram in her wake. The video was so bold it helped rocket the song to #54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #12 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1984. Fans on X still rave about it, with posts like one from @punt_rd in 2023 calling it a “killer track” from a 1984 Quebec show.

Another juicy tidbit comes from Nikki Sixx himself. In the band’s biography The Dirt, it’s revealed that the album was almost called Shout With The Devil, but their label, Elektra Records, got cold feet over the Satanic vibes. Sixx admitted he was dabbling in occult imagery to “piss people off,” but after a creepy incident where a knife and fork allegedly flew into a ceiling during a meeting with producer Tom Zutaut, he switched it to Shout At The Devil. A fan on X, @doomedparade, noted in 2024 that the album’s pentagram and “NY Dolls meets Venom” vibe sold 200,000 copies in just 10 days, despite Christian groups clutching their pearls over the imagery. And get this—Sixx borrowed that pentagram from his earlier band Sister, after getting the green light from W.A.S.P.’s Blackie Lawless.

Now, let’s rewind to how Mötley Crüe got rolling. Formed in Los Angeles, California, on January 17, 1981, the band was sparked by Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee. Fresh off his stint with Sister, Sixx was hungry for a new sound, blending raw heavy metal with a theatrical edge. They recruited guitarist Mick Mars, whose bluesy riffs added grit, and frontman Vince Neil, whose high-pitched wail became their signature. Their debut album, Too Fast for Love, dropped in 1981 on their own Leathür Records, selling 20,000 copies and catching Elektra Records’ attention. By the time Shout at the Devil hit in 1983, their bad-boy antics and glam-metal swagger made them the “World’s Most Notorious Rock Band,” with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, including 25 million in the U.S. Their wild live shows, complete with pyrotechnics and roller-coaster drum kits, cemented their legend.

Wanna keep up with the Crüe? Check out their official site at motley.com, where you can catch news on their tours and merch. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and X for the latest updates and throwback pics. Fans are all over the web too—join the Mötley Crüe Fans group on Facebook or visit motleycruefan.com for fan-driven content, rare photos, and tour stories. So, Zoo Freaks, keep shouting at the devil and stay tuned for more righteous tunes!