UMUR "The Killer Instinct" is the 2nd full-length studio album by US hard rock act Black Star Riders. The album was released through Nuclear Blast Records in February 2015. There´s been one lineup change since the release of the band´s debut full-length studio album "All Hell Breaks Loose (2013)", as bassist Marco Mendoza has been replaced by Robbie Crane.

Stylistically there have been very few changes, as the material on "The Killer Instinct" pretty much continues down the melodic hard rock path of "All Hell Breaks Loose (2013)". It´s no surprise that the music often sounds a lot like Thin Lizzy as the lineup features quite a few members of the last touring lineup of that band which of course includes iconic Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham. Black Star Riders was founded to stand on it´s own two feet though, and they certainly do just that. The musicianship is on a high level on all posts and the album is graced with powerful organic playing throughout. Ricky Warwick is not the most distinct sounding vocalist on the scene, but his voice and passionate delivery perfectly suits the instrumental part of the music.

The material on the 10 track, 46:11 minutes long album are well written, catchy, and memorable. The album opens with the title track, and from there we are treated to one killer hard rock track after another. In addition to the strong title track, other highlights include "Bullet Blues", "Soldierstown", and the closing "You Little Liar". If the closing guitar solo on the latter doesn´t make you want to play air guitar, I´m not sure if anything ever will.

"The Killer Instinct" features a very well sounding production. It´s powerful, organic, and very detailed. Everything is perfectly audible in the mix. So upon conclusion "The Killer Instinct" is a high quality release by Black Star Riders. High level musicianship, effectful and memorable songwriting, and a powerful production are some of the great assets of the album. Another great asset is the way the band are able to combine a "feel good" rock´n´roll atmosphere with a touch of sweet longing melancholy. A 4 star (80%) rating is fully deserved.

UMUR "Heavy Fire" is the 3rd full-length studio album by UK hard rock act Black Star Riders. The album was released through Nuclear Blast Records in February 2017, almost exactly two years after the release of "The Killer Instinct (2015)". "Heavy Fire" features the exact same lineup who recorded "The Killer Instinct (2015)". Ricky Warwick (vocals, guitar), Scott Gorham (guitar), Damon Johnson (guitar), Robbie Crane (bass), and Jimmy DeGrasso (drums).

Stylistically there aren´t many surprises either. This is unmistakably the sound of Black Star Riders continuing the proud legacy of guitarist Scott Gorham´s past in Thin Lizzy. So while no one really sounds like Black Star Riders, they themselves sound a lot like Thin Lizzy. Lead vocalist/guitarist Ricky Warwick isn´t no where near as charismatic and distinct sounding as the late Phil Lynott, but he has a decent raw rock voice and gets the job done fine here. The riffs are hard rocking, the solos and harmony parts melodic and well played, and the rhythm section deliver a great organic backbone. The musicianship is on a high level on all positions, and it´s hard not to be impressed by the skill and mutual understanding of band dynamics between the players involved. They sound like they love what they do, and they deliver their music with great passion.

"Heavy Fire" features 10 tracks and a full playing time of 40:02 minutes, which is perfect for this type of music. The material are both powerful and catchy, and I caught myself singing along several times during the playing time. It´s melodic hard rock at its best. The album also features an organic and well sounding production, which suits the material perfectly, so upon conclusion "Heavy Fire" is another high quality hard rock release by Black Star Riders. They may never get rid of the Thin Lizzy comparisons, but who cares when they write such infectiously cathy tunes and perform them with this kind of passion and conviction...a 4 star (80%) rating is well deserved.

Kev Rowland

Back in 1978, at the tender age of 15, I parted with my hard-earned money to buy my first ever hard rock album, ‘Live and Dangerous’. I was soon in trouble with the headmaster at school as when I found a lesson too boring I used to practice drawing the Thin Lizzy logo onto desks. Like many I was shocked at the early death of Phil Lynott, but was incredibly pleased when a decision was taken to get a version of the band back together again and hit the road. Of course, the band were so very well received that thoughts turned to recording an album of new material, but could they do that under the Thin Lizzy name and still be true? Discussions were had, and the result is Black Star Riders, who are here with their third album. Thin Lizzy still tour, as frontman Ricky Warwick and guitarists Scott Gorham and Damon Johnson play in both bands, but for the near future it is going to be all about the new album, as it is superb.

Like many metalheads of a certain age, I remember Ricky first playing with The Almighty, but he has always been a performer of great death, and I urge those who haven’t heard it to seek out his solo album ‘Tattoos & Alibis’. Of course, Scott was Phil’s left arm from the time he first plugged in with the boys back in 1974, and in Damon he has found the perfect foil as they recreate the twin guitar sound that first brought Lizzy so much attention in the first place. I keep talking about Thin Lizzy as this is a classic Lizzy album in so many ways, it doesn’t feel or sound like anyone else. Apart from the production, which is so much better than it was in the Seventies, then this could be the missing link between ‘Bad Reputation’ and ‘Black Rose’. It certainly has a more classic Lizzy feel to the album than ‘Thunder & Lightning’, the last release of the original band.

I haven’t heard their last album, but I do remember enjoying the debut, but this is just so much more than that, in every single way.

The final words are from Scott himself, and if you ever loved the original band as much as I did then this is essential. “I don’t think there’s another band out there doing what we’re doing,” he says. “And I think there’s a value to what we do. If you stood where I stand night after night, looking out at phenomenal crowds losing their minds to a rock ‘n’ roll band, it still looks like rock ‘n’ roll has something to say, and a big part to play in people’s lives. I was lucky enough to be in a great rock band with Lizzy, and I’m fortunate to be part of another great band with Black Star Riders. We’ll always have a debt to our past, spiritually and musically, but this is a band focused very much on the future.”

UMUR "All Hell Breaks Loose" is the debut full-length studio album by multi-national hard rock act Black Star Riders. The album was released through Nuclear Blast Entertainment in May 2013. Black Star Riders consists of the (at the time) most recent touring lineup of Thin Lizzy: Guitarist Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy, 21 Guns), guitarist/lead vocalist Ricky Warwick (The Almighty), guitarist Damon Johnson (Alice Cooper, Brother Cane...etc.), bassist Marco Mendoza (Blue Murder, Whitesnake, Ted Nugent) and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso (Megadeth, Suicidal Tendencies, White Lion, Alice Cooper...etc). According to Scott Gorham the founding of Black Star Riders doesn´t necessarily mean that Thin Lizzy won´t ever play again, but while touring in 2011 and 2012, the band started composing new material, that they wanted to record and release. It was initially planned that the new material should be released under the Thin Lizzy name, but after giving it a second thought, they decided against it, as they felt it wouldn´t be right out of respect for Phil Lynott and his legacy.

Thin Lizzy bandname or not, the music on "All Hell Breaks Loose" is unmistakably the sound of the legendary hard rock band. Ricky Warwick is not quite as charismatic a lead vocalist as Phil Lynott (but few are), but his voice suits the music well and overall he does a pretty good job here. The trademark guitar harmonies are featured throughout the album and one hard rocking riff is introduced after another. This is pretty killer hard rock and fans of Thin Lizzy should find lots to enjoy here. Tracks like the opening title track, "Hoodoo Voodoo" and especially the catchy "Bound for Glory" carry the hard rocking yet melodic Thin Lizzy legacy well, but there is also room for something a bit different on the album in the Irish traditional sounding "Kingdom of the Lost".

With the musicians involved it´s no surprise that the musicianship are excellent. The sound production is organic and well sounding too and when you add to that the fact that Black Star Riders have actually managed to produce some great memorable and instantly catchy material, "All Hell Breaks Loose" is just what the Thin Lizzy fanbase have been waiting for in years. While this sounds almost 100% like Thin Lizzy, I think they made the smart move by releasing the album under the Black Star Riders monicker. Because of Phil Lynott´s legendary status in the eyes of Thin Lizzy´s fanbase, it would have divided said fanbase. Releasing new music under the Black Star Riders monicker makes everyone happy. The band gets to release new material and tour with it and Thin Lizzy´s fans aren´t given the possibility to shout "Heresy". That´s what you call a win/win situation. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

Kev Rowland Everyone remembers the first time. It may not be as exciting these days as it was when I was 15, but back then there were no digital downloads and the only way to get hold of music was to buy a vinyl album at a record store. I still have the very first hard rock album I ever bought, Thin Lizzy’s ‘Live and Dangerous’, and have never lost the love I have for a band that for me epitomised what music should be all about. I bought all of their rock albums and was mortified when they broke up and I still hadn’t seen them in concert. “Oh well” I thought, “they’ll be back”. And they were, but with Phil long gone it just didn’t seem the same somehow. John Sykes was one of the guys who convinced Scott et all to get back on the road but he left the band quite some time ago and in recent years ex-Almighty frontman RickyWarwick has been providing the vocals. They have enjoyed touring so much that eventually talk started on a new studio album, which would be the first since 1983’s ‘Thunder and Lightning’, but eventually they felt that they just couldn’t release a Thin Lizzy album without Phil, and Brian Downey and Darren Wharton also declined to get involved so a new name and line-up was required.

So, this is not Thin Lizzy. But Ricky Warwick (vocals), Scott Gorham (guitar), Damon Johnson (guitar) and Marco Mendoza (bass) have all been touring under that name, so it is only Jimmy DeGrasso (drums) who has not been involved. But, I can understand where they are coming from in that without Phil it wouldn’t and couldn’t be the same, so the fact that it sounds like a combination of ‘Black Rose’ and ‘Chinatown’ must be a total coincidence then? The use of Dubliner Patrick D'arcy's Irish whistles, uilleann pipes and bodhran on “Kingdom Of The Lost”, definitely makes one think of the former, while one song after another made me think of the glory years. I am not a huge fan of the very early Lizzy albums, but from ‘Jailbreak’ onwards every single one was a classic and this sits very happily alongside them.

This is not a Lizzy tribute, this is all about the band taking that legacy and honouring Phil by making something he would be proud of. The final words belong to Scott Gorham, who said “Phil would dig it, In fact, I think he’d like to be in the band.”