Motley Crue — Shout At The Devil: Motley Crue Shout At The Devil

Motley Crue Shout At The Devil — the Vault Deep Dive on Motley Crue — Shout At The Devil (1983).

The Story

By late 1983 Motley Crue had one scrappy debut behind them and everything to prove. Signed to Elektra after the independent Leathur Records release of their first record, they wanted a heavier, darker statement, and they got one. The album's imagery, the pentagram artwork, and the deliberately menacing tone stirred controversy that only fueled attention. The band leaned into the Sunset Strip mythology of decadence and danger, and the record broke them nationally, going multi-platinum. It arrived as the second wave of American glam metal was cresting, and it helped define exactly what that scene would sound and look like.

The Sound

This is Motley Crue at their most aggressive. Mick Mars's guitar tone is thick and grinding, tuned for menace rather than polish, while Tommy Lee's drumming drives everything forward with real force. Nikki Sixx's songwriting favors chant-along hooks and blunt riffs over subtlety, and Vince Neil's snarl sits high in the mix. The opening pieces set a theatrical, ominous mood before the record snaps into pure attack. There's a garage-band rawness underneath the gloss, and a cover of a Beatles song reworked into something harder and stranger. It's leaner and darker than the more radio-friendly sound the band would chase later in the decade.

The Sessions

The record was cut in Los Angeles with producer Tom Werman, who would go on to shape several of the band's key releases. Werman brought commercial instincts that tightened the songs without sanding off the aggression, balancing Mars's heavy tone against arena-ready hooks. The sessions captured a band hungry and still living the lifestyle they sang about, which lent the performances genuine edge. The layered guitars and big drum sound reflect the studio craft of the era, yet the material stays direct. It's the sound of a young band being pushed toward the mainstream while refusing to fully clean up.

The Legacy

Shout At The Devil turned Motley Crue from a local Strip act into a national force and became a cornerstone of 1980s American metal. It went multi-platinum and set up the arena success that followed. The controversy around its imagery became part of its legend, and generations of hard-rock fans still cite it as a genre landmark. Beyond the sales, it established the visual and sonic template countless bands chased. For collectors, early pressings matter because the album's history spans multiple labels and formats, and this German CD sits at a specific, sought-after point in that early digital chronology.

What the pressing tells us

The part most listings skip. This is how we grade and how you can tell copies apart:

• Elektra CD manufactured in West Germany by PDO, a classic Target-style early pressing.
• Matrix reads 7559 60289-2 2893 848 01, made in W. Germany by PDO.
• West German PDO pressings supplied early global CD demand before US plants scaled up.
• Country of manufacture on disc: Germany, an early digital-era artifact of this title.

Session file

• Recorded in Los Angeles for Elektra Records.
• Produced by Tom Werman, a key band collaborator.
• Released as the band's second studio album in 1983.
• Includes a hardened cover of a Beatles song.
• Opening tracks set a theatrical, ominous tone.

Who played on it

• Vince Neil — Lead vocals
• Mick Mars — Guitar
• Nikki Sixx — Bass
• Tommy Lee — Drums

Vault Trivia

1. Which act did Motley Crue open for on their 1983-84 touring push?

1. Ozzy Osbourne
2. Iron Maiden
3. Judas Priest
4. Kiss

Reveal the answer

Ozzy Osbourne — They toured supporting Ozzy Osbourne, gaining major national exposure during this album's run.

2. Who produced Shout At The Devil?

1. Bob Rock
2. Tom Werman
3. Mike Clink
4. Roy Thomas Baker

Reveal the answer

Tom Werman — Tom Werman produced it; Bob Rock later handled the band's 1989 blockbuster instead.

3. On which independent label did the band's debut appear before Elektra?

1. Greenworld
2. Leathur Records
3. Enigma
4. Metal Blade

Reveal the answer

Leathur Records — Leathur Records issued Too Fast For Love in 1981 before Elektra reissued it.

4. Which Beatles song did Motley Crue cover on this album?

1. Helter Skelter
2. Tomorrow Never Knows
3. Come Together
4. Revolution

Reveal the answer

Helter Skelter — Their aggressive take on Helter Skelter fit the album's dark, menacing mood.

5. Which visual element on the sleeve drew the most controversy?

1. An inverted cross
2. A pentagram
3. A demonic goat
4. Burning church

Reveal the answer

A pentagram — The pentagram artwork fueled early-eighties controversy and helped drive attention to the record.

Come find this West German pressing at the vault and hold a piece of early-CD history.

Rare Collectibles Chicago grades and photographs every copy in-house — 20 years, 25,000+ sales. Browse the vault.