Sixx AM released Prayers for the Blessed, Vol. 2 on November 18, 2016. Their fifth studio album arrived through Eleven Seven Music, completing a pair of records written and recorded together. Prayers for the Damned, Vol. 1 had come out that April. For vocalist and producer James Michael, guitarist DJ Ashba and bassist Nikki Sixx, the two releases reflected a change in how they worked: they were writing with an extended touring life in mind.
Lead single “We Will Not Go Quietly” put that connection on screen. Directed by Wayne Isham, its official video followed the band through a show in Edmonton, Alberta, combining performance footage with a look at the day surrounding it. In the song’s October 2016 announcement, Michael described its message as an extension of “Rise,” responding to threats to basic human rights and encouraging listeners to act.
The heavier approach grew out of practical experience. Michael told Roppongi Rocks in 2016 that touring behind Modern Vintage had shown them which songs worked best onstage. Material with more weight tended to connect, so when writing began after that tour in April 2015, they emphasized guitars, bass and drums with arenas and heavy festival bills in mind. They also brought their touring drummer and backing vocalists into the sessions. As Michael explained, “we wanted these records to feel live.” The personnel and arrangements were serving the same purpose: getting more of the stage band into the recordings.
The two-album plan was deliberate from the outset. Michael said they wanted related records, with enough space between releases for listeners to absorb the songs and their subject matter. The second volume was part of the original writing goal.
Deciding where each song belonged took work. In a November 2016 interview with May the Rock Be With You, Michael recalled how carefully they considered the order of both albums. “Rise” had initially been assigned to the second volume before becoming the opener on the first. As the songs developed, the band changed their placement to make the individual records flow. Even with the material created together, each release needed its own sequence.
That attention to the songs also left room for a cover. Michael recalled that Sixx had heard Badfinger’s “Without You” during a film’s closing credits and brought it to the others. Its straightforward melody and emotional directness appealed to them. They had already enjoyed recording a cover for Modern Vintage and wanted to celebrate another song that had mattered to them. For this version, they kept what drew them to the writing while giving the arrangement a heavier treatment.
The album also contained “Maybe It’s Time,” a song the band returned to for a different purpose in 2020. Released under the Artists for Recovery banner that August, the new version gathered guest musicians for an initiative addressing substance use disorders and supporting recovery. It also appeared on the Sno Babies film soundtrack. All artist royalties were pledged to the Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation, with Better Noise Music announcing a matching contribution to help people in early recovery.
