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Album of the Week / The Dead Daisies Radiance is pure hard rock magnificence

The personnel door of The Dead Daisies has taken some serious abuse in the band’s twelve-year existence. In fact, its hinges must be hanging by a single screw at this stage. But its latest lineup has got to be the most intriguing and solid so far.

The Dead Daisies – Radiance (The Dead Daisies Pty Ltd. / SPV)

Release Date: 30 September 2022

Words: Brian Boyle

Founder/treasurer/rhythm guitarist David Lowy remains the constant presence alongside long servant Doug Aldrich, and following the fleeting visit of Tommy Clufetos, powerhouse drummer Brian Tichy has made a welcome return. But the USP of the band these days is the recruitment of the legendary Glenn Hughes, whose arrival spelt curtains for Marco Mendoza and popular vocalist John Corabi.

The Dead Daisies release Radiance.
Radiance. The Dead Daisies, as tight as a nun’s knickers.

And no disrespect to the army of past members, but the Daisies have gone from being a reliant Volvo to a fuck off Aston Martin.

In simpler terms, they are now a proper band. Gone is the reliance on cover versions to fill out an album. Last year’s fabulous Holy Ground showed why bringing in the man from the Black Country was a shrewd bit of business, thus finally giving them critical kudos and shaking off the rich man’s plaything tag.

Hella Rock Festival

Radiance represents the band’s sixth studio album and bares its teeth straight from the off with the pounding hammer of Face Your Fear. With ten songs that amount to around 36 minutes playing time, the wam-bam feel to the album suits these short, punchy tunes perfectly. Hypnotise Yourself jabs you into submission with its thunderous riffing and fire-breathing chorus, then the pulsing Shine On comes and goes before you can draw breath.

Definitely not the type of song that would have graced a Hughes-less album, the title track has a comforting darkness to it that’s dictated by Aldrich’s tumbling oddball riff.

Glenn Hughes, The Dead Daisies
Glenn Hughes, The Dead Daisies. Photo: Steve Ritchie/MetalTalk

At 71 years young, the world-renowned pipes of Glenn Hughes point blank refuse to display any signs of wear. This vocal marvel can leave a note hanging like no other, displayed on the soaring Born To Fly, where he delivers a near biblical performance.

With this being Tichy’s second time around the block, the lure of forming a rhythm section with Hughes must’ve proven unrefusable, and as expected, their respective styles magnetise naturally, especially on Kiss The Sun, where they’re as tight as a nun’s knickers.

Brian Tichy,  The Dead Daisies. Photo: Oliver Halfin
Brian Tichy, The Dead Daisies. Photo: Oliver Halfin

Once again, producer Ben Grosse’s exquisite knob twiddling has made this collection of songs breathe, even on slow burners like Courageous and Cascade, where the lord of the riffs Aldrich sounds otherworldly.

While it may be 2022, and some bands have taken to recording remotely in the comfort of their sitting room, possibly wearing nothing but a grin, this album was born out of old-school jamming. Not Human gives off an honest off-the-cuff vibe, face to face and letting the magic roll.

Such is the present music climate, The Dead Daisies will never enjoy the status of having ‘the classic album’.

But hop in a time machine to when Rock music ruled humankind, and a Radiance vinyl sleeve would adorn many a wall.

For this is pure hard rock magnificence.

Sleeve Notes

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