In the '80s and early '90s,
Diamond Rexx was very much a party band -- if you craved the sort of decadent, trashy, sleazy fun that
Mötley Crüe and
Kiss were famous for, Nasti Habits' band was worth checking out. But when Habits decided to form a new
Diamond Rexx lineup in 2001, the Chicagoan realized that some changes were in order. The days when MTV couldn't wait to air the latest
Quiet Riot video were long gone, and Habits didn't want to sound like he was living in the past. Thus,
Diamond Rexx made a few alternative metal-ish moves on 2001's
Rexx Erected, which found lead singer Habits unveiling a new lineup that employed S.S. on guitar, Basil Cooper on bass, and Billy Nychay on drums.
Rexx Erected isn't as alternative metal-minded as the band's next album,
The Evil, would be, but at the same time, Habits doesn't sound like he is totally stuck in the '80s either. While the old
Diamond Rexx sounded like they were always ready for a wild, all-night party on the Sunset Strip (or Chicago's Rush Street),
Rexx Erected favors a generally darker, more serious tone than
Diamond Rexx had in the past. The
Alice Cooper influence remains, but Habits doesn't use
Cooper's influence for pop-metal purposes; on
Rexx Erected, the singer's priority is offering honest-to-God metal rather than pop-minded hard rock (not that there's anything wrong with pop-minded hard rock). This is definitely an aggressive, forceful album, although
Diamond Rexx was still quite melodic -- Habits, thankfully, realizes that aggression and melody can be a potent combination.
Rexx Erected is a bit uneven, and 2002's
The Evil is slightly stronger. But all things considered,
Rexx Erected was a respectable comeback for the Chicago headbangers. ~ Alex Henderson