Metal Underground.com

If it's hard for you to tell whether the title "XXX" refers to dirty thoughts about the guitar-slingin' woman on the front cover, or the fact that this Italian band's been rocking for three decades, well, I'm pretty sure that's just what Rain had in mind.

Taking a page from acts like Kiss and Anthrax who have created albums full of new versions of old songs, Rain has recorded brand new — and sometimes quite different — versions of songs from their eight previous studio albums. "Rain Are Us," for example, was originally recorded for the band's 2008 album "Dad Is Dead" as a bit more of an anthem. Here, it's an acoustic ballad, and actually gains strength from the more quiet approach.

Still, the band's 1980s roots show through quite well. Singer Francesco Grandi still wails like David Lee Roth, and the riffs, particularly on "We Want Rock" and "Whiskey On The Route 666" are patented Sunset Strip struts. Harder-edged stuff like "Fight For The Power" flirts with Motorhead territory, while the shrieks of "Born To Kill" are of the vintage Priest variety.

Slightly more modern twists feel out of place on "Only Your Dreams," with its strangely flat drum sound, and the industrial-tinged "Blood Sport." Still, you've got to admire the band for thinking outside of the box.

Whether they've heard the originals or not, Rain's "XXX" is likely to arouse hard rock fans' attention.