This inaugural offering from Black Star Riders will inevitably draw comparisons with Thin Lizzy. But fear not. Although there are echoes of the past in the grooves, much here is refreshingly new.
Despite the fact that longtime Lizzy member Scott Gorham is one of the key creative forces and singer Ricky Warwick a songsmith cut from the same cloth as Philo, the tracks manage to strike a balance between the familiar and the contemporary. In addition, production legend Kevin Shirley adds the required sheen.
Alluring from the get-go the collection opens with the effervescent bluster of the title-track and is followed by euphoric lead single ‘Bound For Glory’, which bubbles with the melodic subtleties and dual guitars of Black Rose era Thin Lizzy. ‘Kingdom Of The Lost’ – a Celtic anthem replete with bodhrán and uileann pipes – doffs its cap to the title track from the aforementioned LP.
The twin guitars of Scott Gorham and former Alice Cooper axeman Damon Johnson add the magic dust, especially on the playful duelling of rollercoaster rocker ‘Kissin The Ground’.
BSR have the mettle to go the distance. Strap yourselves in for the ride!