Black Star Riders - Heavy Fire (2017/2018) [Official Digital Download]

There's a beautiful purity to the finest rock 'n' roll, a thrilling simplicity in striking an over-amplified guitar chord, a transcendent joy in getting high on just volume, adrenaline and a backbeat. Black Star Riders, lifers in an industry less secure than a secret in a soap opera, understand this, which is why Heavy Fire, the quintet's third album for Nuclear Blast, sounds so fresh and exhilarating and alive. Recorded with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Deftones, Rush) at Rock Falcon Studio in Franklin, Tennessee, the follow up to BSR's acclaimed 2015 release The Killer Instinct, finds the quintet - frontman Ricky Warwick, guitarists Scott Gorham and Damon Johnson, bassist Robbie Crane and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso - in electric form, crashing through 10 tracks of swaggering, life-affirming hard rock with a shared passion and power both irresistible and inspiring.

"The follow-up to 2015's Killer Instinct, the aptly named Heavy Fire delivers another barrage of might, melody, and dual-lead riffage that invokes the heydays of classic rock without falling victim to nostalgia. The third time around for Thin Lizzy expats Ricky Warwick, Scott Gorham, Damon Johnson, and Jimmy DeGrasso, and the second ride for former Ratt and Lynch Mob member Robbie Crane, Heavy Fire sees the veteran decibel-makers firing on all cylinders. Produced by Grammy winner Nick Raskulinecz (Danzig, Rush, Death Angel), who allows the band's raw power to do all of the heavy lifting, the ten-track set comes out of the gate swinging with its pugilistic title track, a bluesy, shape-shifting kick in the noggin that plays to all of the bandmembers' strengths. Slinky guitarmonies and playful chord changes evoke vintage Thin Lizzy on standouts like "Dancing with the Wrong Girl" and "Testify or Say Goodbye," both of which are as radio-ready as they are inventive, and the wistful "Cold War Love" proves that Black Star Riders are just as capable of infusing midtempo balladry with muscle as they are straight-up barnburners like "When the Night Comes In" and "Letting Go of Me." As vital as the instrumental performances are, the biggest charge is delivered by Ricky Warwick's seasoned croon and confidant phrasing, with the gospel-tinged, Dark Side of the Moon-esque backing vocals of Wendy Moten, Gale Mayes, and Drea Rhenee providing their own particular set of sparks. What began as an extension of post-Phil Lynott-era Thin Lizzy has become something far more nuanced, and with three solid studio albums now in their rear-view mirror, it would seem that Black Star Riders have successfully managed to embrace the past without losing themselves in it." (James Christopher Monger, AMG)

Tracklist:
01. Heavy Fire
02. When the Night Comes In
03. Dancing with the Wrong Girl
04. Who Rides the Tiger
05. Cold War Love
06. Testify or Say Goodbye
07. Thinking About You Could Get Me Killed
08. True Blue Kid
09. Ticket to Rise
10. Letting Go of Me
11. Fade

Personnel:
Ricky Warwick, vocals, guitar
Scott Gorham, lead guitar
Damon Johnson, lead guitar, lap steel, mellotron, backing vocals
Robbie Crane, bass
Jimmy DeGrasso, drums, percussion
Wendy Moten, backing vocals (on tracks 2, 9)
Gale Mayes, backing vocals (on tracks 2, 9)
Drea Rhenee, backing vocals (on tracks 2, 9)
Pearl Aday, backing vocals (on track 6)
Fred Mandel, Hammond B3 organ (on track 6)
Nick Raskulinecz, mellotron (on track 10)

Produced by Nick Raskulinecz