Company: Nuclear Blast Release: 2015 Genre: Hard Rock, traditional Reviewer: Eric Compton
A nearly perfect debut album
I know the band collectively plays live as the nostalgic Thin Lizzy but the group decided any new studio work shouldn't be under the Lizzy name to honor Phil Lynott and his legacy. I get that and appreciate the preservation but 'Killer Instinct' and the BSR debut 'All Hell Breaks Loose' (2013) are both extremely conversant with Thin Lizzy's sound and ARE essentially Thin Lizzy. Irish front man Ricky Warwick (The Almighty) sounds identical to Lynott and Scott Gorham, the only original band member that played on a Lizzy studio album, continues the same guitar tones and riff stylings that he used on 'Fighting' and 'Bad Reputation'. Cuts like 'Bullet Blues' has that instant accessibility through the addictive chorus, backed by twin guitar melody. It's free, it's lively, it is Thin Lizzy in spirit and song. The wartorn "Soldierstown" is reminiscent of "Angel of Death", an effective guitar lead at the beginning that leads into an Irish sing along. "Sex, Guns & Gasoline" uses robust percussion and busy cymbal work to tell the tale of fugitives and motorcycles. Overall, a stellar piece of work that continues the Thin Lizzy legacy and improves on a nearly perfect debut album.
