BLACK STAR RIDERS - "HEAVY FIRE" (2017)

BLACK STAR RIDERS - "HEAVY FIRE"
(Running time: 40:10 minutes; 10 songs)
("Nuclear Blast Records"; CD; 2017):

Hey guys, hope you have a nice evening so far or whatever time of the day currently is at where you are while you're reading this lines; and far more earlier than I yesterday thought here now comes a new record-review-post for you, and this time finally again on a 2017 album-release and this time it's my record-review on no other than the new current, this year's BLACK STAR RIDERS full-length-album "HEAVY FIRE" released via the german "NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS" label and you might could ask where else, hahaha. Anyhow, if you shouldn't know or shouldn't be familiar with the BLACK STAR RIDERS so far (why the hell else ever) then just let me say two words, one name to you: THIN LIZZY. The BLACK STAR RIDERS are sort of the justififed official/inofficial-yet-still-official successor-band of no one else than the almighty, immortal, and larger-than-life THIN LIZZY, sharing (in parts) the same members and here's with "HEAVY FIRE" their newest and all in all their third full-length-album, yes, so more than enough to talk about and to have some close looks on and even closer listens to, hell yeahr, and so here we finally go again: It features 10 songs in total and this 10 songs are a really impressive showcase of forceful and just damn great honest/authentic, fresh and alive/lively Rock or Hard Rock (or call it Heavy Rock, who cares) music sort of current-state-of-the-art with containing and hailing it's classic background strongly. For all what I would say "HEAVY FIRE" is huge step heading towards an even stronger own identity of and for the BLACK STAR RIDERS than they did so far before on their earlier releases, sort of emancipating themselves quite a bigger bit than before from/of THIN LIZZY, even THIN LIZZY influences and maybe also sort of deliberate THIN LIZZY "tributes" are still to be noticed just listen to the phenomenal "DANCING WITH THE WRONG GIRL" and the fantastic rhythm arrangements as well as the amazing singing lead and solo guitar(s) of it; awesome. Same is to say about the brilliantly done laid back "COLD WAR LOVE". But we get also a big bunch of stronger own, new, fresh ideas like only for example sort of new schoolish Southern Rock impressions in the heavy "WHO RIDES THE TIGER" or electrified Country allusions in the highly emotional and über-cool "TICKET TO RISE", musical storytelling in perfection. The at first pretty "blocky" but then more and more growing heavy stunning Rocker and title track "HEAVY FIRE" delivers a brickload of smashing guitars, while the larger-than-life "WHEN THE NIGHT COMES IN" as well as the sheer amazing "TESTIFY OR SAY GOODBYE" are sort of "personified catchyness" marked strongly and pushed forward by outstanding slinky and seductive singing and flirting, melodic and energetic guitars and first class vocal lines delivered via highest class verse and rhythm arrangements and larger than life refrain-parts done by one of the very best lead singing voices around. "THINKING ABOUT YOU COULD GET ME KILLED" flirts with us with an inresistable groove and a stunning and firy and grapping, exciting and rousing song architecture, and it's one of my personal favorites. "TRUE BLUE KID" then is just another nearly if not perfect song with a overwhelmig tension-arc in its  arrangements and the changing and varying of its tone, mood, rhythm, and pace, with this just overly exciting guitar solo being its absolute highlight and I love how the refrain-repeat at the end of the song gets more and more intense. Fantastic!!! "LETTING GO OF ME" then closes the album in a forward pushing, catchy and hymnal straight rocking way with a nice little "punky" touch to it all, a strong sort of a little surprise right before the finishing line. Okay, reading this more or less song-by-song-review of me on "HEAVY FIRE" you may already got that this is a damn great one, a really, really truly great one. Intense and all the time honest and heartfelt emotional larger-than-life melodic yet heavy and also all the time in every positive sense hymnal and anthemic Rock/Hard Rock with a classic background and impressively strong fresh own new ideas, all driven forward and heavily marked by outstanding melodic sensitive yet very heavy, very unique and shining, singing guitars, fantastic diverse rhythm works, and an absolute outstanding unique and charismatic lead singing voice, and the rhythm section backs it all stunningly up. The multi-layered and strongly diverse and also self-conatined songwriting also just really shines, as well as the in all interwoven strong inetnsity and high emotionality, all delivered with authentic and honest, heartfelt passion for the music. And what I also really love is that "HEAVY FIRE" is incredible fresh and absoultely alive/lively, it's a absolute and total energy kick of the best and purest kind. That this gentlemen are also highest skilled musicians should need no further explanations anyway here and now. Okay, I could go on like this sort of for-ever but I think you got what I've tried to say with all this... if not: Read again!!! My personal favorites are "DANCING WITH THE WRONG GIRL", "WHO RIDES THE TIGER", "COLD WAR LOVE", "TESTIFY OR SAY GOODBYE", "THINKING ABOUT YOU COULD GET ME KILLED", "TRUE BLUE KID", and my absolute über-favorite one "WHEN THE NIGHT COMES IN". "HEAVY FIRE" is so far my favorite one of/by the BLACK STAR RIDERS and it gives us great, diverse lyrics, a supreme production-sound, and a great artwork (I love especially the cover with its strong old School Strongmen image) as the crowning point of/to it all. A damn close to perfect album, if not a perfect one, and so I can't recommend this high enough here and now, so I'll keep it short with my finishing words: GET IT!!! Cheers.

(10 of 10 points)

http://blackstarriders.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

BLACK STAR RIDERS - "WHEN THE NIGHT COMES IN" (2017, "HEAVY FIRE")