The album opens with an atmospheric intro, which is reminiscent of the openings to many of Dio's classic slower numbers. The doomy keyboards create a strong feeling, but sadly they do not set the tone for the album. As with Heavy Crown, the use of keyboards is limited throughout the album which in my opinion contributes to the weak production. Many of the songs here could do with the depth that keyboards give, and it is a shame that the intro piece is one of the only parts of the album to make good use of them. That being said, the opening song proper - Blackout the Sun - is a strong effort. It leads on from the intro nicely, and sees Campbell laying down a muscular riff earlier with help from Appice's leaden drumming. While certainly no Dio, Freeman has proved himself as a capable frontman and a strong singer. He is able to inject some soul into his delivery when required, with the verses here benefiting from that. The song is missing a great chorus however, with a repetitive hook being used instead. It does work to an extent, but a proper chorus would have been better - especially given the song's mid-paced feeling. The highlight here though is Campbell's first solo of the album, which is a tasteful display of restraint - showcasing lots of subtle phrasing that befits the song's speed. Landslide is similar, and is another enjoyable song that picks up the pace a little and allows Soussan's bass more prominence in the mix. He drives the verses with a pulsing rhythm, while Campbell's guitar adds colour with effects-heavy chords. Unfortunately the chorus here is also not great, with things slowing down for another fairly repetitive hook. That being said, Campbell's little guitar melodies during the choruses are great, and add a little touch of the blues to the song. Despite lacking a killer chorus, this is still a memorable song and one that manages to create a bit of an atmosphere. Gods and Tyrants, after a clean guitar intro and a riff that really could be with being properly cranked up, moves forward into a somewhat bluesy, bass-heavy verse that feels a little limp. This song does at least attempt a chorus, and features a mean shredded solo from Campbell that certainly recalls the style that he employed on those Dio albums in the early 1980s, but my main issue with the song is how it sounds. This should be a much heavier song than it is, with a crunching production than it is - but sadly it sounds as if the song has been recorded through old 1950s amplifiers with no effects added. This song should roar out the speakers, but it does not. This is a common problem across the album, and Year of the Gun just exemplifies this further. The song has a great build up, with Appice's drums creating tension and pace, but the guitar tones are so flat and the atmosphere just is not there! It is a real shame, as the song has a nice pace to it and the riffs are quite strong, they are just held back by the weak production. Freeman delivers a great vocal here, including a particularly impressive long, rough note just before the main solo, but the lack of big harmonies and melodies just means his efforts never truly catch on.
Give Up the Ghost is better however and features a strong groove throughout, and a dirtier overall tone. Campbell's guitar actually has some bite to it, and his riff that drives the song really brings back memories of some of those tough early Dio tracks like Straight Through the Heart. There is a slight blues overtone still, but it works in the context of the song as Campbell grinds out the groove and Appice's booming drumming really pours through the speakers. After two flatter songs, it is great to hear Last in Line sounding mean and fired up. Campbell's solo is great also, with some early 1980s squeals thrown in for good measure to further add to the song's retro feel. This is easily one of the best songs here, and could be the direction the band should focus on going forward. The Unknown opens with a muted little guitar melody, but this soon gives way to a slower verse featuring lots of long, strummed guitar chords and a somewhat strange-sounding lead vocal. Freeman sounds fine, but some of the harmony vocals seem a little off-key which gives the song an amateurish sound - which is a shame. After the album started to find its feet somewhat with Give Up the Ghost, The Unknown undoes that hard work. A couple of riffs here are strong, especially the one that leads into the main chorus - but overall this song is a bit of a trudge that suffers from the same flat production issues as described earlier, but now with added weak vocals. It is a song that probably could sound pretty good if it was recorded in a different way, but sadly as it is it makes little impact. Sword from the Stone opens with a strong Campbell riff, hamstrung as usual by the production, but it makes an impact none-the-less. This is another strong mid-paced track, and would sound better in the hands of a different producer, but it is still another enjoyable song. The chorus attempts to recapture some of the epic nature of the lengthier Dio tracks of old, and the chopping riffing helps to further that feeling. It is the album's longest song, at just over six minutes in length, so it is fitting that it should recapture that sound. It is no Egypt (The Chains are On), but it is still a strong effort. My point about the keyboards stands here though. This is a song that needs that big, doomy backing to further its atmosphere, but sadly that is lacking. The guitars do help to extent, but some swirling synths would have really helped overall. Electrified is the only really fast effort here, so it stands out as a result and does make an impact. Again, it does not compare to those Dio numbers of the past, but it has a strong energy of its own. Much of this album is very one-paced so this song comes along to give II a much-needed shot of energy. The chorus is pretty good, and unsurprisingly Campbell launches into a fast, shredded solo part-way through that allows him to showcase his skills. He does not get too many opportunities to really shred during his day job with Def Leppard, so it is nice to see that he has not lost any of his old skills.
Love and War opens with another strong riff, and overall this is another enjoyable piece. It returns to the mid-paced nature of the album, but sees a heavy blues feel employed that fits the Last in Line sound well. The guitar tone is a bit meatier here, and this helps the song to pack more of a punch. Anyone who has followed Appice's career will know that he is a hard-hitting drummer, and that style is on display perfectly here. His heavy-hitting beat fits in nicely with the heavier riff, and helps to make the song one of the album's more memorable offerings. It has a pretty solid chorus too. While the melodies could be a little catchier, Freeman does well and injects some soul into the proceedings. False Flag has a heavier overall feel, and opens with Soussan's powerful bassline that really grinds its way out of the speakers. Freeman's spookier vocals sound great too, which is something that is not heard anywhere else on the album, and when the album picks up the pace it has some real power behind it. Many of the songs on this album are pretty one-dimensional, and do not really challenge the listener, but this one features a more dynamic arrangement. The slower sections and the pacier moments sit well together, and help to create a more well-rounded song that allows everyone more of a chance to show off. I would like to see more songs like this going forward from Last in Line, as it is infinitely more interesting than many of the offerings here. The album comes to a close with The Light, another mid-paced piece that seems to attempt at that 'epic album closer' sound, but never quite pulls it off. There are some decent riffs here, and a bit more atmosphere in places, but overall it sounds very similar to much of the album. The chorus is one of the better ones however, and does feature some melodies that stick in the head. As a result, the song does work as an album closer, but I do not think the song is quite as epic as the band think it is. It is a bit of a showcase for Campbell however, who has a couple of quite lengthy solos during the song. He is a great guitarist, so it is a always a treat to hear him play. His closing effort is excellent, and allows the song - and album - to fade out on a high. Overall, as discussed, II is a bit of a frustrating listen. There are some strong songs here, but there are too many that are too one-paced with nothing to distinguish them from the others. The production lets the album down too. I am a fan of Pilson as a songwriter and musician, but I am not convinced by him as a producer. This is a flat-sounding album, and I feel the band should work with someone else next time to allow them to make an album that befits the songs. Many of these songs would sound better with a meatier production. II is not essential listening for anyone other than die-hard Campbell fans. His playing throughout is strong, but the songwriting is not consistent enough to appeal to the casual listener.
The album was released on 22nd February 2019 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Blackout the Sun.
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