When Scott Gorham and Brian Downey decided to reboot Thin Lizzy a few years ago it went so well the plan was to release new music. Thankfully wiser heads prevailed (it would NEVER have been accepted) and Black Star Riders was born. It’s been a slow and steady rise ever since and even now there are some who still see the band as a Thin Lizzy knock off. Yes Ricky Warwick sounds at times like Phil but he’s from Ireland and is a huge fan and Scott was an integral part of that band for so many years. Then there’s the line up changes losing Marco Mendoza, Jimmy DeGrasso and more importantly Damon Johnson who was Ricky’s right hand man when it came to songwriting.
So now the band are back with a new drummer in Chad Szeliga, Stone Sour guitarist Christian Martucci and new producer Jay Ruston and have come up with probably the best album they’ve done. It’s quality over quantity and with only 10 songs clocks in at the 40 minute mark. The way albums should be. Highlights are the celtic tinged title track, Tonight The Moonlight Let Me Down featuring a sax solo from Michael Monroe and What Will It Take. Yes, Ricky Warwick is a great lyricist and really underrated. I’m going to be playing this album for a long time.
Richie.
