By Jason Wellwood
Black Star Riders was originally formed under the Thin Lizzy moniker and toured as such for quite awhile (with a different drummer). Upon deciding that the chemistry of the band and quality of the musicians was too good not to put out new material, they changed the name of the band. Now that, dear readers, is a class act!
‘Bound For Glory’ is one of those perfect late 70’s/early 80’s hard rocking jukebox hits that would have definitely taken a lot of my quarters. ‘Kingdom of the Lost’ brings a Celtic flair to the album with a beer raising sing along chorus, perfect for the pub. ‘Kissin’ The Ground’ puts a little bit of power pop into its chorus and ‘Hey Judas’ is one hell of a groovy rocker. Ricky Warwick (The Almighty) captures the spirit of Phil Lynott in both phrasing and rasp without mimicking the late frontman outright. It’s the perfect pairing for the music created by Warwick, guitarists Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy) and Damon Johnson (Brother Cane, Alice Cooper), bassist Marco Mendoza (Blue Murder, Whitesnake) and drummer Jimmy Degrasso (Megadeth, Alice Cooper). Looking at that pedigree, how could this band NOT make some incredible 70’s influenced hard rock?!
With All Hell Breaks Loose, Black Star Riders has created a solid hard rock album and manages to stand as a band in its own right while still doing the Thin Lizzy legacy pretty damn proud. Very highly recommended.
(Nuclear Blast)
