Black Star Riders' 'Another State of Grace' - Album Review

If there is band that truly defines the state of classic-inspired rock in the 21st Century, then Black Star Riders are surely it. Despite only being in their seventh year as a band, Black Star Riders have already become part of a furniture on the British rock scene (despite most of the band actually being American) and they are a well-loved and popular live act. In fairness the band did have something of a head start, with frontman Ricky Warwick and guitarist Scott Gorham forming the band following a successful couple of years touring as part of a re-activated Thin Lizzy - but Black Star Riders have long stepped out of that band's shadow. While a heavy touring schedule and a penchant for dropping a new album every couple of years has certainly helped the band to maintain a steady momentum and organically build a fanbase; what makes the band truly tick is their ability to craft memorable, hard rocking, and soulful songs. From their 2013 debut album All Hell Breaks Loose (which I reviewed here), which is probably still my favourite from the band, Black Star Riders have been writing great songs. I did not find 2015's The Killer Instinct (which I reviewed here) or 2017's Heavy Fire (which I reviewed here) to be quite as strong as the band's debut album, but both albums contain plenty of excellent songs and are still regular features on my iPod. Three strong albums in five years had really set the band up, but 2019 has seen Black Star Riders take things a step further by releasing their fourth effort - and making it four strong albums in seven years! The lead up to their fourth album, which was released earlier this month under the name of Another State of Grace, however was a fairly rocky one by the band's standards. Since forming in 2012 the had had a relatively stable line-up, with only Robbie Crane replacing original bassist Marco Mendoza in 2014, but Another State of Grace features a new-look Black Star Riders following a couple of line-up changes that have occurred since Heavy Fire's release. The first departure was drummer Jimmy DeGrasso in 2017, not too long after the third album's release, who was quickly replaced by Chad Szeliga (Breaking Benjamin; Black Label Society); but the big blow was the departure of guitarist Damon Johnson towards the end of last year. Along with Warwick, Johnson had always been the band's main songwriter. Other band members had chipped in along the way, but the Warwick/Johnson partnership was what Black Star Riders was built on. His songwriting and his guitar playing abilities, was going to be hard to replace, so I had wondered what the band would sound like without him. Christian Martucci (Stone Sour) was brought in to replace him, and thankfully he seems to have fit into the band like a glove. He has picked up some of the songwriting slack on Another State of Grace, which is great to see, as well as adding his heavier guitar playing to it - meaning that the band's fourth album is their weightiest and toughest-sounding effort yet.

Opening the album is Tonight the Moonlight Let Me Down, a catchy up-tempo rocker typical of the band's sound; with a few sly looks cast in Thin Lizzy's direction for good measure. A choppy riff opens the piece up with hints of a twin-guitar harmony, but in truth the song is a weighty rocker from the songwriting minds of both Gorham and Martucci. One of the things that has carried over from Thin Lizzy into Black Star Riders is the storytelling lyrics that recall classic folk songs at times. Ricky Warwick was clearly a big Phil Lynott fan before joining up with Gorham and co., and it shows throughout this album. His voice, which is certainly mellower and more storyteller-esque than it was during his days with The Almighty, is what holds the whole band together; and the laid back verses here really showcase him at this best - before he launches into a somewhat tougher chorus with some catchy vocal melodies. A saxophone solo courtesy of Michael Monroe (Hanoi Rocks; Demolition 23.) tips the hat to that other Thin Lizzy song with 'moonlight' in the title, but it is the first time the instrument has been heard in a Black Star Riders context. It is the icing on the cake, and adds a quirky burst of melody when needed. The album's title track is a real winner and, in my opinion, is one of the best tracks the band have written so far. A knotty twin-guitar riff keeps the piece together, while session man Paul D'Arcy adds some folky additions with whistles and uilleann pipes to mirror it. While the album's opening piece was fairly laid back, Another State of Grace is much heavier, and really shows the influence of Martucci. The riffing here is meatier than previously, but the folky, beefed-up guitar leads are still very Thin Lizzy at their core. There are certainly shades of Emerald to be found here, but with a chorus that sounds like something The Pogues might have come up with - showing off Warwick's love of Irish punk. Ain't the End of the World is similar, with the punk influence again showing up during the driving chorus and a guitar riff that is the most blantant Thin Lizzy homage of the whole album. In some ways the song feels like a throwback to the band's first album. The Thin Lizzy-isms have slowly decreased over the band's previous three-album trajectory, but they seem to have re-embraced here. This could be down to the introduction of Martucci as a key songwriter - bringing some fresh ideas to that classic sound. I am certainly not complaining, and the opening three songs on this album are for me the best opening three songs on a Black Star Riders album since All Hell Breaks Loose.

The quality comes with the Gorham-penned Underneath the Afterglow, a heavier piece with a strong Hammond organ presence from famed session man Fred Mandel. In fact, Mandel's playing is fairly prominent throughout the album as a whole. Keyboards have never been a big part of the Black Star Riders sound, but their usage has certainly increased here which adds an extra dimension to the band's sound. The song is heavier than most here, and the dirty Hammond really helps to exemplify this. The harmony guitars are largely gone here, instead they are replaced with a weighty riff that rumbles the speakers with its simplicity. The chorus part also sounds heavier, and has similarities to Warwick's previous band The Almighty. Mandel's keyboards also dominate Soldier in the Ghetto, as the piece opens up with a funky organ riff that is soon joined by some laid back guitar chords which are reminiscent of Charlie I Gotta Go from the band's second album. The song is much more in-your-face than that older piece however, with the keyboards keeping everything moving at a faster pace and a chorus that again injects a little of the punk spirit back into Black Star Riders. What is clear at this point is how much energy is contained within this album. The entire first half of the album is packed full of up-tempo rockers, that are all built on a strong riff and contain a catchy, melodic chorus. This is clearly the type of song that the band excel at at this point, and the album shines as a result. However, as if to deliberately play havoc with my analysis, the album's sixth track is a ballad! Why Do You Love Your Guns? however is an extremely poignant piece, especially with a handful of high-profile mass shooting taking place across America over the past few months, with lots of delicate acoustic guitar playing from Warwick and thought-provoking lyrics. This is not purely an acoustic piece however, although the song never strays far from those roots. The band slowly build up around Warwick, with effects-heavy guitar leads that sound more like something from a Marillion album than your average Black Star Riders song and a sombre beat from Szeliga. A highlight however is a lengthy and emotionally-charged guitar solo part way through the song. Sadly the CD's booklet does not attribute the guitar solos, so I cannot credit Gorham or Martucci here, but it is the perfect accompaniment to the song's theme and it really brings the piece to life. Standing in the Line of Fire, the only song here co-written by Crane, gets back to the up-tempo feeling established throughout the album's first half. This is a song that has grown on me over repeated listens, and it sounds a bit more like the sound the band established on Heavy Fire - with the Thin Lizzy-isms reduced and replaced with a more riff-heavy sound. It works well however, with a simple chorus that is backed by a fun, snaking riff and a shredded guitar solo to round things off. Crane is becoming a useful additional songwriter for the band, and I hope he continues to chip in on future albums.

The simple What Will It Take? features the vocals of Pearl Aday, who also guested on Heavy Fire, and opens out as a strident acoustic rocker before the band joins in to give the song a bit of a heavy country vibe. It is a solo Warwick composition and it shows, and is somewhat more akin to the songs found on his recent solo albums than any previous Black Star Riders album. While not a bad song, it is certainly one of the least-interesting pieces here for me. Aday and Warwick share vocals lines to good effect, but the song is not as compelling as many of the others here. The lyrics are very repetitive, and for me it lacks that true Black Star Riders spark. The album's final couple of tracks overcome the slight dip of What Will It Take? however, and certainly get things back on track. Both tracks showcase the punk spirit referenced earlier, with In the Shadow of the War Machine up first. It is the lesser of the two in my opinion, with repetitive lyrics again present, but the energy of the piece makes it a more interesting prospect. It is a real chug, something quite rare for the band, but the simplicity allows Warwick to spit the lyrics out with some real venom. In the past Warwick has toured as a guitarist for Stiff Little Fingers, and he is certainly bringing some of that experience along for the ride here with a little bit of a late-album rock out! Poisoned Heart, the album's final track, is a subtly rocky piece that includes a strong call-and-response chorus that has a punky vibe once more, before the song becomes more laid back for the smooth verses - with some twisty harmony guitar leads thrown in throughout for good measure. The song is unlike anything in the band's catalogue so far, but in my opinion it really works. As much as I loved Johnson's contributions to the band, it does feel that the band have explored a few different avenues here. Experimentation is key for a band and it allows them to develop and stay fresh - and it is great to hear the band experimenting a bit here, especially considering the album is a fairly traditional 40-odd minutes in length. I would quite like to hear more songs like Poisoned Heart from the band going forward, and I hope this experimental is brought forward into album number five! Overall, Another State of Grace is a really strong album from the band - and for me it is their best release since their debut. As much as I enjoy The Killer Instinct and Heavy Fire, Another State of Grace just contains more of the type of songs that I want to see from the band - and it is great to see the Thin Lizzy nods back bigger and better than before. The band are showing no signs of slowing down yet, and I hope that Another State of Grace is the start of a successful new era for them.

The album was released on 6th September 2019 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Another State of Grace.