Black Star Riders, a hard rock band active since 2012 was created by members of the most recent line-up of Thin Lizzy. The band currently features Ricky Warwick on vocals and guitars, Scott Gorham and Damon Johnson on guitars, Robbie Crane on bass and Jimmy DeGrasso on drums. Black Star Riders are all set to release their third album ‘Heavy Fire’ with Nuclear Blast in February 2017. They delivered widely acclaimed music in their first two records ‘All Hell Breaks Loose’ and ‘The Killer Instinct’ which established the band as one of the finest present-day rock ‘n’ roll bands. The debut album showcased a fresh musical approach besides upholding the good old legacy of Thin Lizzy, while the second album widened the band’s artistic dimensions. These two records speak volumes of the musical experience and acumen the members known for their legendary work as Thin Lizzy bring into the band.
Black Star Riders’ third record ‘Heavy Fire’ has been produced by the very experienced Grammy-winning Nick Raskulinecz known for his versatile range of work with bands like Rush, Danzig, Death Angel and Apocalyptica. After putting out two spectacular albums, the band has moved further ahead with the third release. With this album, Black Star Riders have beautifully explored new possibilities around the crux of heavy rock while showcasing a variety of memorable aspects, thus establishing their own identity independent of the well-known musical history that they have.
One of the most outstanding elements on the album is the well-planned sequencing of the songs which render it a wonderful musical odyssey. The album featuring ten great tracks kicks off with the title track “Heavy Fire”, a mid-tempo yet power-packed track which does justice to the signature Black Star Riders sound- crisp and raw! This essence is carried into “When the Night Comes In” which is one of the catchier songs on the album with awe-inspiring vocals, nice lyrics and a catchy chorus. The song shows the new approach the band adopts while still upholding its heritage in spirit. Remarkable musical ingenuity is showcased in “Dancing with the Wrong Girl” which has a heavy classic essence while “Who Rides the Tiger” features a catchy groove. There’s been no compromising with the band’s distinct quality and the record upholds the appeal of heavy rock through and through as evident in the compact and powerful rocker “Ticket to Rise” also featuring soulful backing vocals. There is a nice shift in thought process from the laid back “Cold War Love” to the heavier “Testify or Say Goodbye” which is one of the finest songs on the album. The latter bears the magnificence of classic rock in elements like its traditionally composed chorus. “Thinking About You Could Get Me Killed” starts with an epic bass line and is rhythm-wise one of the best tracks on the record. “True Blue Kid” further demonstrates versatility within the magnitude of heavy rock while “Letting Go of Me” provides a perfect finish to the album by leaving a hard-hitting impact.
In a nutshell, the album showcases a good deal of diversity laced around the essence of heavy rock. It is a wonderful sequential demonstration of a fresh musical approach as well as the good-old legacy of Black Star Riders.