Trying to wrap your head around any current incarnation of Thin Lizzy is a frustrating and, to be frank, exasperating prospect. I generally think "no," but I can't argue the awesomeness of Black Star Riders, made up of a bunch of guys from the current Thin Lizzy lineup playing music that completely, 110% sounds like Thin Lizzy (they, wisely, opted to not use the name Thin Lizzy when recording new material). Where it gets weird is vocalist Ricky Warwick (The Almighty) and his outrageous likeness to Phil Lynott: Is it homage or is it trying hard to continue the Thin Lizzy sound?
It all gets a bit philosophical when, really, this is just about rock and roll, and amazing rock and roll at that. The band's debut, 2013's All Hell Breaks Loose, was good, but this album is great: check out the melancholic upbeat sound of the amazing "Finest Hour," which channels the best of (you'll never guess!) Thin Lizzy to a degree that no other band has ever done. "Soldierstown" has the guitar riffs and the over-the-top storytelling that made Thin Lizzy so great. The album feels like it goes on for a couple of tunes too long, but that's a small complaint in the face of such rock majesty.
(Nuclear Blast)It all gets a bit philosophical when, really, this is just about rock and roll, and amazing rock and roll at that. The band's debut, 2013's All Hell Breaks Loose, was good, but this album is great: check out the melancholic upbeat sound of the amazing "Finest Hour," which channels the best of (you'll never guess!) Thin Lizzy to a degree that no other band has ever done. "Soldierstown" has the guitar riffs and the over-the-top storytelling that made Thin Lizzy so great. The album feels like it goes on for a couple of tunes too long, but that's a small complaint in the face of such rock majesty.