THE DEAD DAISIES BLOSSOM YET AGAIN WITH POWERHOUSE NEW ALBUM 'BURN IT DOWN'
The Dead Daisies: 'Burn It Down'
Release date: April 6th 2018 (Spitfire Music/SPV)
Words: Brian Boyle 19th March 2018
With a line-up whose previous employers include Whitesnake, Journey, Thin Lizzy and Motley Crue, to name but a few, a new album by The Dead Daisies is a salivating event.
Their fourth studio offering, 'Burn It Down', is one of the most eagerly anticipated rock releases of the year, however the band are a slightly changed animal from the one that brought us 2016s all-killer 'Make Some Noise'.
Gone is the well travelled Brian Tichy and in his place steps former Journey and Doug Aldrich's Revolution Saints bandmate Deen Castronovo and that slick bit of recruitment has given the band a bigger pair of kahunas and enhances a new in-your-face grittier sound.
Not that the Daisies have strayed too far off the beaten track creatively, but after you've been knuckledusted by the brutish opener 'Resurrected', you'll immediately get the vibe that the band are wearing a completely new attitude and loving it. Second track, 'Rise Up', oozes pure cocky swagger and a big dirty Sabbath-esque riff that will pulverise you on the first listen.
While the last album's title track stuck very much to the fist pumping anthemic formula, this record's front of house gem couldn't be any more different. Opening with soothing seductive blues tones, it soon erupts with a mountainous chorus that keeps you coming back for more.
'Judgement Day' follows much the same path and once again highlights that the band's songwriting prowess is firmly in the ascendancy while the ever so naughty 'Bitch' is just an out and out blast. John Corabi's vocals are at their mischievous best on a tune reminiscent of classic Aerosmith.
In fact the whole band are on fire on this one. Doug Aldrich and David Lowy make an unmerciful racket while pumping out some riotus riffing and the Rolls Royce rhythm section of Marco Mendoza and new boy Castronovo emphatically bind it all together.
If there's any justice left in the fickle world of rock'n'roll, the titanic 'Set Me Free' should go down in history as one of the great rock ballads. Fusing together slabs of southern, blues and a generous garnish of gospel, the song's beauty lies in it's compelling simplicity.
For the final three tunes, they seriously plug it in and let it rip. 'Dead And Gone' stomps and struts along like a modern day 'Back In Black' and 'Can't Take It With You' flexes it's muscles with a searing Aldrich solo, proving yet again why the North Carolina man is one of the finest guitarists on the planet.
The jewel in the album lies with the full throttle closer 'Leave Me Alone'. Nothing beats the feeling of hearing a song for the first time and your jaw scraping your knees in awe. This is a no-frills brainshaker ram packed with middle finger attitude and Corabi steals the show with his well vaped pipes putting in a serious shift.
A lot people believe the album format has lost it's identity in the current climate of downloading and streaming but thankfully we still have the romantics who are still madly in love with the long player who revel in the buzz of handing their hard earned cash over the counter and rushing home for that first glorious spin and believe me, this album will keep that love flowing.
If it's your intention to educate your kids on the overwhelming joys of good honest classic rock, for a change bypass the usual suspects and present them with 'Burn It Down' by The Dead Daisies. A masterclass in rock album creation.
Tracklisting: Resurrected
Rise Up Burn It Down Judgement Day What Goes Around Bitch
Set Me Free Dead And Gone Can't Take It With You Leave Me Alone
The Dead Daisies are: John Corabi - Vocals Doug Aldrich - Guitars Marco Mendoza - Bass David Lowy - Guitars Deen Castronovo - Drums
The 'Burn It Down' world tour kicks off two days after the album is released. In the UK The Dead Daisies will be joined by The Treatment and The Amorettes as special guests in Nottingham, London and Bristol. The remaining UK shows are The Amorettes only and meanwhile, on the European leg of the tour, the special guests will be German rockers The New Roses. The dates are:
8th April: Glasgow, Garage 9th April: Bilston, Robin 2 10th April: London, Koko 12th April: Manchester, Academy 2 13th April: Nottingham, Rock City 14th April: Bristol, Academy 16th April: NET - Tilburg, 013 17th April: BEL - Vosselaar, Biebob 18th April: GER - Hamburg, Markthalle 20th April: SWE - Gothenburg, Sticky Fingers 21st April: NOR - Oslo, Parkteateret 22nd April: SWE - Stockholm, Klubben 24th April: DEN - Copenhagen, Pumpehuset 25th April: GER - Osnabrück, Rosenhof 26th April: GER - Munich, Backstage Werk 27th April: HUN - Budapest, Barba Negra Track 29th April: AUS - Vienna, Simm City 1st May: POL - Wroclaw, Thanks Jimi Festival 3rd May: GER - Berlin, Kesselhaus 4th May: GER - Wiesbaden, Schlachthof 5th May: GER - Cologne, Live Music Hall 6th May: FRA - Paris, Le Trabendo 8th May: SWI - Pratteln, Z7 9th May: ITA - Trezzo (Milan), Live Club 11th May: SPA - Bilbao, Santana 27 12th May: SPA - Madrid, Mon
