Black Star Riders is a
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
band formed in December 2012. The band began when members of the most recent line-up of
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or some ...
decided to record new material, but chose not to release it under the Thin Lizzy name. While Thin Lizzy continues on an occasional basis, Black Star Riders is a full-time band,
described as "the next step in the evolution of the Thin Lizzy story". The band's first album, ''
All Hell Breaks Loose'', was released on May 21, 2013,
and the follow-up album, ''
The Killer Instinct
''The Killer Instinct'' is the second studio album by hard rock band Black Star Riders, released on February 20, 2015. Black Star Riders evolved from the touring version of Thin Lizzy, assembled by guitarist Scott Gorham after the death of Thin ...
'' was released on February 20, 2015.
The band's third album, ''
Heavy Fire'', was released on February 3, 2017, and reached number six on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
.
Black Star Riders is fronted by
Ricky Warwick
Ricky Warwick (born 11 July 1966) is a Northern Irish musician and the lead singer of the rock bands Black Star Riders and Thin Lizzy. He is also the frontman for the Scottish hard rock band The Almighty, with whom he achieved chart success in ...
, and originally featured lead guitarist
Scott Gorham
William Scott Gorham (born March 17, 1951) is an American guitarist and songwriter who is one of the "twin lead guitarists" for the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy. Although not a founding member of Thin Lizzy, he served a continuous membership after ...
and bass guitarist
Marco Mendoza. Mendoza was replaced by
Robbie Crane in 2014. Drummer and founding member
Jimmy DeGrasso
Jimmy DeGrasso (born March 16, 1963) is an American heavy metal drummer.
DeGrasso played with Mama's Boys and Lita Ford before eventually working with Y&T and Megadeth and as a session or touring musician for Ozzy Osbourne (1986), White Lion ...
left the band in March 2017,
and was replaced a few weeks later by
Chad Szeliga
Chad Szeliga (born December 11, 1976) is an American drummer from Elyria, Ohio. Formerly the drummer of rock band Breaking Benjamin, he joined Black Label Society in 2013, replacing Mike Froedge. In 2017, Szeliga replaced Jimmy DeGrasso in Bl ...
. Another founding member, lead guitarist
Damon Johnson
Damon Rogers Johnson (born July 13, 1964) is an American guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter, currently a solo artist and member of Thin Lizzy. In the 1990s he co-founded Brother Cane, and later joined Alice Cooper's band as lead guitarist. He w ...
, left the band at the end of 2018 to be replaced by
Christian Martucci
Christian Martucci (born June 5, 1977) is an Italian American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He is a dual citizen of Italy and the United States. As of 2013, he is the lead guitar player for the American hard rock band Stone Sour and from J ...
. Gorham and Szeliga left the band in September 2021, the latter being replaced by Zak St John. Gorham was not replaced, leaving the band as a quartet. Martucci left in June 2022, and was replaced in November by
Wayward Sons guitarist
Sam Wood
Samuel Grosvenor Wood (July 10, 1883 – September 22, 1949) was an American film director and producer who is best known for having directed such Hollywood hits as ''A Night at the Opera (film), A Night at the Opera'', ''A Day at the Races (fi ...
.
On September 20, 2021, the band announced a new worldwide multi-record album deal with
Earache Records
Earache Records is a British independent record label, music publisher and management company founded by Digby Pearson in 1985, based in Nottingham, England, with offices in London and New York. The label helped to pioneer extreme metal by rel ...
and that they would be entering the studio in October 2021 to begin recording a new album.
On June 6, 2022, the band announced their new album ''
Wrong Side of Paradise
''Wrong Side of Paradise'' is the fifth studio album by hard rock band Black Star Riders, released on January 20, 2023.
It is the first Black Star Riders album to feature drummer Zak St. John, and the last to feature guitarist/songwriter Christ ...
'', as well as a 10th anniversary UK tour. Scott Gorham and Jimmy DeGrasso are rejoining the band for the UK tour dates as part of the 10th anniversary commemorations.
Background
In May 2010, Thin Lizzy lead guitarist
Scott Gorham
William Scott Gorham (born March 17, 1951) is an American guitarist and songwriter who is one of the "twin lead guitarists" for the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy. Although not a founding member of Thin Lizzy, he served a continuous membership after ...
announced the latest incarnation of the group, which had toured sporadically with various line-ups since 1996, after the death of band leader
Phil Lynott
Philip Parris Lynott (, ; 20 August 1949 – 4 January 1986) was an Irish singer, bassist, and songwriter. His most commercially successful group was Thin Lizzy, of which he was a founding member, the principal songwriter, lead vocalist and ba ...
in 1986. This marked the return of the original drummer
Brian Downey and longtime keyboard player
Darren Wharton
Darren Leigh Wharton (born 25 December 1961) is a British keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He has fronted his own band, Dare, since 1985, but first came to attention as a member of Thin Lizzy. His son, Paris, is also a musician.
Biography
W ...
, joining Gorham, bass guitarist
Marco Mendoza, and vocalist and occasional guitarist
Ricky Warwick
Ricky Warwick (born 11 July 1966) is a Northern Irish musician and the lead singer of the rock bands Black Star Riders and Thin Lizzy. He is also the frontman for the Scottish hard rock band The Almighty, with whom he achieved chart success in ...
. The other lead guitarist role was initially filled by
Vivian Campbell
Vivian Patrick Campbell (born 25 August 1962) is a Northern Irish guitarist. He came to prominence in the early 1980s as a member of Dio (band), Dio, and has been a member of Def Leppard since 1992 (replacing Steve Clark after his death). Camp ...
, then by
Richard Fortus
Richard Fortus (born November 17, 1966) is an American guitarist. He has been a member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he has recorded one studio album, since 2001. Fortus has also collaborated extensively with The Psychedelic Fur ...
, before
Damon Johnson
Damon Rogers Johnson (born July 13, 1964) is an American guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter, currently a solo artist and member of Thin Lizzy. In the 1990s he co-founded Brother Cane, and later joined Alice Cooper's band as lead guitarist. He w ...
joined the band in August 2011. As the band toured throughout 2011 and 2012, they composed new material for possible release as a Thin Lizzy studio album, and demos were recorded in June 2012.
In October 2012, it was announced that the new material would not be recorded under the Thin Lizzy name, and that a new band name would be used for the new songs. According to Gorham, this was "out of respect to Phil Lynott and the legacy he created", though he confirmed that the new material would feature the classic Thin Lizzy sound.
He later confirmed that the decision was taken by himself and Downey, with the support of the other members of the band, and that the Thin Lizzy estate (controlled by Lynott's widow Caroline) had also been uncomfortable about new Thin Lizzy studio recordings. Warwick has acknowledged that a significant portion of Thin Lizzy fans were also against the idea of Thin Lizzy studio recordings without Lynott.
[Classic Rock magazine, February 2013, pp17–18] He later confirmed that he had been troubled by the idea of using the Thin Lizzy name, and that as a fan, had the band recorded an album under the Thin Lizzy name with another singer, he would have been against it.
As the new material was being written, it became clear that Downey and Wharton would not be involved when the final recordings were made. Downey required a break from the heavy touring schedule, and Wharton wanted to return to his own band
Dare, and to work on a film project.
Warwick confirmed, "Brian and Darren just don't want to be on the road 150 days a year, and that's completely understandable. But we do."
Gorham has stated that Thin Lizzy will still perform as a band in the future: "Thin Lizzy isn't gonna die," he said. With reference to the much-publicised Lizzy "farewell" tour in late 2012, Warwick confirmed, "All that 'farewell' meant is that we're not going to do 150 Lizzy shows a year... those were just the last shows for a while."
Thin Lizzy completed a short tour of Australia in March 2013, with Downey and Wharton as part of the line-up.
Black Star Riders
Damon Johnson has revealed that Gorham was against any name for the new band that was related to Thin Lizzy, "because this band has to stand on its own".
Warwick named the band after a gang of outlaws in the 1993 western film ''
Tombstone'',
and the new name was announced on December 20, 2012.
The band initially consisted of Gorham and Johnson on lead guitar, Mendoza on bass guitar, with Warwick acting as vocalist and occasional guitarist. The band brought in
Jimmy DeGrasso
Jimmy DeGrasso (born March 16, 1963) is an American heavy metal drummer.
DeGrasso played with Mama's Boys and Lita Ford before eventually working with Y&T and Megadeth and as a session or touring musician for Ozzy Osbourne (1986), White Lion ...
on drums, but no keyboard player was recruited, with Gorham stating, "I don't think we are actually going to have keyboards in Black Star Riders. You never know what's going to happen down the road but that is the set-up right now with that."
All the founding members are American with the exception of Warwick, who is from Northern Ireland. Each had previously achieved success with other acts – Gorham with all incarnations of Thin Lizzy since 1974 and with
21 Guns; Warwick with
The Almighty; Johnson with
Brother Cane
Brother Cane is an American rock band that released three albums in the 1990s. Formed in Alabama in 1990 by singer and guitarist Damon Johnson and bassist Glenn Maxey, the line-up was completed by guitarist Roman Glick and drummer Scott Collier. ...
and
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
; Mendoza with
Blue Murder, fronted by another ex-Thin Lizzy member,
John Sykes
John James Sykes (born 29 July 1959) is an English guitarist, best known as a member of Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and Tygers of Pan Tang. He has also fronted the hard rock group Blue Murder and released several solo albums.
Following a stint in ...
; and DeGrasso with several acts including
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...
,
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is an American crossover thrash band formed in 1980 in Venice in Los Angeles, California by vocalist Mike Muir. Muir is the only remaining original member of the band. Along with D.R.I., Corrosion of Conformity, and Stormtr ...
,
White Lion
The white lion is a rare color mutation of the lion, specifically the Southern African lion. White lions in the area of Timbavati are thought to have been indigenous to the Timbavati region of South Africa for centuries, although the earliest r ...
and Alice Cooper. Gorham is the only member of Black Star Riders to have been a member of Thin Lizzy while Phil Lynott led the band and thus the only one to have appeared on a Thin Lizzy studio album.
''All Hell Breaks Loose''
The band recorded their debut album ''
All Hell Breaks Loose'' with producer
Kevin Shirley
Kevin Shirley (born 29 June 1960), also known as The Caveman, is a South African music producer, engineer and mixer for many artists,Spencer et al, (2007Shirley, Kevinentry. Retrieved 4 February 2010. such as the bands Journey, Iron Maiden, ...
in Los Angeles during January 2013, with worldwide release dates confirmed for late May.
Fifteen songs were recorded, composed mostly by Johnson with Warwick providing the lyrics, with input from Gorham and Mendoza. While Gorham insists that the new band could not sound like Thin Lizzy without Lynott, both Johnson and Warwick believe that the new material has a "classic Lizzy vibe".
Twelve tracks were ultimately used for the album, including one bonus track for a special edition CD.
Recording began on January 8, 2013, with one track being laid down each day. Recording was completed on January 20, and the photography for the album and promotional material was also completed at that time, with American music photographer
Robert John
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
.
Mixing of the album took place in February 2013. Gorham later stated that recording twelve songs in twelve days was "kind of a pressurised situation" and that the band would probably not record that way again in the future, but he added that it was fun and the results were positive.
The first single was "Bound for Glory", which received its first airplay on March 21, on
Ken Bruce
Kenneth Robertson Bruce (born 2 February 1951) is a British broadcaster who is best known for hosting his long-running weekday mid-morning show on BBC Radio 2 from 1986 to 1990, and then again since 1992.
Early life and career
Bruce was born a ...
's mid-morning show on
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
in the UK. The single was released on March 24.
Touring and ''The Killer Instinct''
Appearances at festivals accompanied the album release in the summer of 2013, followed by a worldwide tour. In an interview in December 2012, Gorham confirmed that the new group would still pay homage to their Thin Lizzy origins: "Obviously because everybody knows where we came from and what we do, it is kind of a must. We will be playing most of the Black Star Riders album but I don't think we'd get away without playing a few Thin Lizzy songs."
On June 3, 2013,
Download Festival
Download Festival is a British-created rock festival created by Terrance Gough, held annually at the Donington Park motorsport circuit in Leicestershire, England (since 2003); in Paris, France (since 2016); at Parramatta Park, Sydney (since 201 ...
promoter Andy Copping announced via social networks that the band would replace
Buckcherry
Buckcherry is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1995. The band released two albums, ''Buckcherry'' (1999) and ''Time Bomb'' (2001), before dissolving in 2002. Buckcherry's first album ''Buckcherry'' was DreamWorks first a ...
at Download 2013.
Black Star Riders played their first concert on May 30, 2013 at the Marshall Amps Theatre, Bletchley in
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes ( ) is a city and the largest settlement in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of its urban area was over . The River Great Ouse forms its northern boundary; a tributary ...
,
and later appeared at the Hi Rock Festival in Germany on June 1–2, followed by the
Sweden Rock Festival
The Sweden Rock Festival is an annual rock/metal festival held in Sweden since 6 June 1992. While having a clear rock/metal focus, the festival is noted for its diversity across these genres, from southern rock bands such as Molly Hatchet to de ...
on June 8 and Download on June 15.
Another festival date was played at
Hard Rock Hell
Hard Rock Hell is a three day music festival held at Vauxhall Holiday resort, Great Yarmouth. It was previously held at Hafan y Môr Holiday Park, Pwllheli, Gwynedd, North Wales, and up until 2011 at Pontin's Holiday Village, Prestatyn, Wales ...
in North Wales on November 29, coming during a run of 39 shows around Europe and the UK during October–December. In 2014, the band played 13 shows in the US during May, followed by three dates in Japan on May 20–22, followed by 25 further shows in the US. The band then returned to Europe for 19 shows in the UK, Germany, Norway and Sweden in July and August.
![Black Star Riders – Wacken Open Air 2014 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Black_Star_Riders_%E2%80%93_Wacken_Open_Air_2014_02.jpg)
Recording for a second album was announced during late 2013, and on January 27, 2014, it was announced the band's second album would be recorded in Dublin in October, and would be produced by
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), a ...
vocalist
Joe Elliott
Joseph Thomas "Joe" Elliott (born 1 August 1959) is an English–Irish rock singer, best known as the lead singer and one of the founding members of the hard rock band Def Leppard. He has also been the lead singer of the David Bowie tribute ba ...
. Elliott had previously worked on Ricky Warwick's solo albums, and also with Scott Gorham on archival Thin Lizzy releases. However, Elliott pulled out of the project in August due to conflicts with Def Leppard's schedule. He was quickly replaced by
Nick Raskulinecz
Nick Raskulinecz () (born February 4, 1970) is an American record producer. He resides in Nashville, Tennessee.
Production career
Raskulinecz is from the Bearden area of Knoxville, Tennessee. He first produced and recorded bands in Knoxville ...
, and recording took place in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
in September. The album was released on February 20, 2015.
On May 30, 2014, it was announced that Marco Mendoza would be leaving the band to pursue other projects. He officially left Black Star Riders after the end of the US tour on June 22. His replacement is
Robbie Crane, formerly of
Ratt
Ratt is an American glam metal band formed in San Diego, California, in the 1970s, that had significant commercial success in the 1980s, with their albums having been certified as gold, platinum, and multi-platinum by the RIAA. The group is bes ...
and
Lynch Mob. Mendoza said, "I am sorry to be leaving the band but I feel it's time for me to pursue other avenues, some of which I have already been working with, all of which I am very excited about. I wish the guys all success in the future and I am very happy that my friend Robbie Crane will continue to blaze with BSR." Gorham and Warwick confirmed that the separation was amicable. In January 2015, Warwick recalled that Crane played "
The Boys Are Back in Town
"The Boys Are Back in Town" is a song by Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy. The song was originally released in 1976 as the first single from their album '' Jailbreak''. It is considered by ''Rolling Stone'' to be the band's best song, placing it ...
" at his audition for the band, and Gorham had felt it had been the closest to the original since Phil Lynott had played it.
![Black Star Riders 2014](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Black_Star_Riders_2014.jpg)
On November 21, 2014, the second album was named as ''
The Killer Instinct
''The Killer Instinct'' is the second studio album by hard rock band Black Star Riders, released on February 20, 2015. Black Star Riders evolved from the touring version of Thin Lizzy, assembled by guitarist Scott Gorham after the death of Thin ...
'' and would feature ten tracks. Johnson explained how producer Raskulinecz had examined all the songs the band had written prior to recording, and ensured that the band "focused on the material to best represent Black Star Riders in 2015."
The album release was followed in March 2015 by a 14-date tour of the UK co-headlining with
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, supported by
The Amorettes
The Amorettes were a hard rock band formed in Scotland in 2009. They performed in support of Black Star Riders, Europe, W.A.S.P., Ash, The Dead Daisies, Black Stone Cherry, Gun and Thunder among others, and toured across the UK, and performed ...
.
On January 29, 2015, it was announced by
Planet Rock Radio that the Black Star Riders had been confirmed and would be appearing at Planet Rockstock in June in
Marrakech
Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...
, Morocco. In March 2015, a tour of the UK and Ireland with
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), a ...
and
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English hard rock band formed in London in 1978. The group was originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple. Though the band quickly developed into their own entit ...
was announced for December, preceded by a European tour in November.
''Heavy Fire''
In January 2016, Ricky Warwick revealed that recording for the third album would begin later in the year, again produced by Raskulinecz, with release scheduled for early 2017. In August, it was revealed that the title of the third album would be ''Heavy Fire'', and the release would be accompanied by a sixteen-date tour of the UK and Ireland in March 2017. Support on the tour was provided by
Gun
A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch projectiles. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washing, p ...
, plus The Amorettes on the first five dates, with
Backyard Babies
Backyard Babies are a Swedish rock band originally from Nässjö and currently based in Stockholm. The band was formed in 1989 and over the years they have released seven studio albums and won two Swedish Grammy Awards.
They are largely at ...
on the remaining eleven.
The first single from ''Heavy Fire'', "When the Night Comes In", was first broadcast on
Planet Rock radio in the UK on November 16, 2016. The album was released on February 3, 2017, and reached #6 in the UK, and #11 in Germany. In March 2017, one month after its release, the album won a Planet Rock award for Best British Album.
Lineup changes
It was announced on March 29, 2017 that Jimmy DeGrasso had left the band by mutual consent, having completed the UK tour.
On May 5, prior to the European tour, ex-
Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin is an American Rock music, rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, formed in 1999 by lead singer and guitarist Benjamin Burnley and drummer Jeremy Hummel. The first lineup of the band also included guitarist Aaron Fink an ...
and
Black Label Society
Black Label Society is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1998 by guitarist/singer Zakk Wylde. To date, the band has released eleven studio albums, two live albums, two compilation albums, one EP, and three vid ...
member
Chad Szeliga
Chad Szeliga (born December 11, 1976) is an American drummer from Elyria, Ohio. Formerly the drummer of rock band Breaking Benjamin, he joined Black Label Society in 2013, replacing Mike Froedge. In 2017, Szeliga replaced Jimmy DeGrasso in Bl ...
was announced as Black Star Riders' new drummer.
After further touring in the US, it was announced that Johnson would be leaving the band at the end of 2018 to concentrate on his solo career and session work. His replacement was to be
Christian Martucci
Christian Martucci (born June 5, 1977) is an Italian American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He is a dual citizen of Italy and the United States. As of 2013, he is the lead guitar player for the American hard rock band Stone Sour and from J ...
of
Stone Sour
Stone Sour is an American rock band formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1992. The band performed for five years before disbanding in 1997. They reunited in 2000 and since 2015, the group has consisted of Corey Taylor (lead vocals, guitar), Josh Rand ...
. The band undertook a tour of South America in November with
Luke Morley
Luke Morley (born 19 June 1960 in Camberwell, London, England) is the guitarist, chief songwriter and producer for the hard rock band Thunder from 1989 to present (with a break from 1999–2002, and 2009–2011). Previous to that he wa ...
of
Thunder
Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...
deputising for Johnson, before Johnson returned for further performances in the UK at the end of the year. Martucci joined the band in the studio in early 2019 to record their fourth album, ''Another State of Grace''. Johnson stated, "Three excellent albums in six years with this great band is one of the proudest achievements of my career, and it has been glorious." He will continue to work with Thin Lizzy and with Warwick as part of the Warwick Johnson acoustic duo.
''Another State of Grace''
The band's fourth album, ''
Another State of Grace'' was released on September 6, 2019, and was accompanied by a tour of the UK and Europe.
It is the first of their albums to feature Martucci, and ultimately the only album to feature Szeliga, and was produced by Jay Ruston.
Lineup changes and ''Wrong Side of Paradise''
On September 20, 2021, the band announced a new worldwide multi-record album deal with
Earache Records
Earache Records is a British independent record label, music publisher and management company founded by Digby Pearson in 1985, based in Nottingham, England, with offices in London and New York. The label helped to pioneer extreme metal by rel ...
and that they would be entering the studio in October 2021 to begin recording a new album, which would again to be produced by Jay Ruston.
Ricky Warwick commented, "We are extremely pleased to announce our new deal with Earache Records. We had an amazing eight years with Nuclear Blast and I want to thank everyone there for their commitment and dedication during this time, but it was time to part ways and Earache have well and truly stepped up to the plate! We can’t wait to start the new relationship with the great team there."
It was also announced that Gorham and Szeliga were to leave the band, with Gorham wishing to concentrate on Thin Lizzy. He will not be replaced, leaving the band as a quartet with Warwick handling some of the lead guitar parts alongside Christian Martucci. Szeliga was replaced by Los Angeles-based session player Zak St John.
Warwick stated, "We are very sorry to see Scott go but we discussed a very heavy world touring commitment on the new record and Scott decided he wanted to concentrate just on Thin Lizzy – and being the legend he is none of us can blame him. We all wish him the best and he will be looking to put Thin Lizzy back out on the road from 2022 onwards with a busy schedule, so he won’t be missing me too much!"
Martucci added, "We can’t wait to see all our fans and followers again after what seems like an eternity off the road and we appreciate no end their continued support and loyalty to BSR."
On June 6, 2022, the band announced their next album, ''
Wrong Side of Paradise
''Wrong Side of Paradise'' is the fifth studio album by hard rock band Black Star Riders, released on January 20, 2023.
It is the first Black Star Riders album to feature drummer Zak St. John, and the last to feature guitarist/songwriter Christ ...
'', would be released on January 20, 2023.
The album was announced alongside a new track and video "Better Than Saturday Night", as well as a 10th Anniversary UK tour for February 2023. Scott Gorham and Jimmy DeGrasso will be joining the band for the UK tour dates as part of the 10th Anniversary commemorations.
"Better Than Saturday Night" was premiered globally via
Planet Rock Radio.
The tour will feature
Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons
Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons is a Welsh rock band established in 2016 by longtime Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell (musician), Phil Campbell, following the 2015 death of Motörhead frontman Lemmy.
History Debut EP (2016)
In November 201 ...
and
Michael Monroe
Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm (born 17 June 1962), better known by his stage name Michael Monroe, is a Finnish rock musician who rose to fame as the vocalist for the glam punk band Hanoi Rocks, and has served as the frontman for all-star sid ...
as support.
It was also announced that Christian Martucci would be exiting the band to focus on his work with
Stone Sour
Stone Sour is an American rock band formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1992. The band performed for five years before disbanding in 1997. They reunited in 2000 and since 2015, the group has consisted of Corey Taylor (lead vocals, guitar), Josh Rand ...
and
Corey Taylor
Corey Todd Taylor (born December 8, 1973) is an American musician, songwriter and actor. He is the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Slipknot (band), Slipknot, in which he is designated #8, as well as the lead vocalist and guitarist for the ...
. Warwick said of Martucci's exit: "When we brought Christian Martucci into the fold in 2018 we had planned to work the BSR cycle in rotation with Christian’s Corey Taylor / Stone Sour gig so he could do both. The two year break in live music has unfortunately put paid to this plan and Christian has had to leave Black Star Riders to concentrate on his work with Corey. We wish him all the best and he will forever remain part of the BSR family."
On November 28,
Wayward Sons guitarist
Sam Wood
Samuel Grosvenor Wood (July 10, 1883 – September 22, 1949) was an American film director and producer who is best known for having directed such Hollywood hits as ''A Night at the Opera (film), A Night at the Opera'', ''A Day at the Races (fi ...
was announced as Martucci's replacement. Warwick stated, "I had Sam join me for some Fighting Hearts dates a few months back and knew he was the guy for us... Black Star Riders have had some of the world's finest guitar players in their ranks and Sam is truly up there as one of them. We couldn't be happier!"
Wood featured in the video for the band's next single, "Riding Out the Storm", released on December 2. Wood remains a member of Wayward Sons alongside his role in Black Star Riders.
Personnel
*
Ricky Warwick
Ricky Warwick (born 11 July 1966) is a Northern Irish musician and the lead singer of the rock bands Black Star Riders and Thin Lizzy. He is also the frontman for the Scottish hard rock band The Almighty, with whom he achieved chart success in ...
– lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar (2012–present), lead guitar (2021–present)
*
Sam Wood
Samuel Grosvenor Wood (July 10, 1883 – September 22, 1949) was an American film director and producer who is best known for having directed such Hollywood hits as ''A Night at the Opera (film), A Night at the Opera'', ''A Day at the Races (fi ...
– lead guitar, backing vocals (2022–present)
*
Robbie Crane – bass guitar, backing vocals (2014–present)
*Zak St. John – drums (2021–present)
Former members
*
Scott Gorham
William Scott Gorham (born March 17, 1951) is an American guitarist and songwriter who is one of the "twin lead guitarists" for the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy. Although not a founding member of Thin Lizzy, he served a continuous membership after ...
– lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals (2012–2021, 2022–23 (touring))
*
Damon Johnson
Damon Rogers Johnson (born July 13, 1964) is an American guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter, currently a solo artist and member of Thin Lizzy. In the 1990s he co-founded Brother Cane, and later joined Alice Cooper's band as lead guitarist. He w ...
– lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals (2012–2018)
*
Jimmy DeGrasso
Jimmy DeGrasso (born March 16, 1963) is an American heavy metal drummer.
DeGrasso played with Mama's Boys and Lita Ford before eventually working with Y&T and Megadeth and as a session or touring musician for Ozzy Osbourne (1986), White Lion ...
– drums, percussion (2012–2017, 2022–23 (touring))
*
Marco Mendoza – bass guitar, backing vocals (2012–2014)
*
Chad Szeliga
Chad Szeliga (born December 11, 1976) is an American drummer from Elyria, Ohio. Formerly the drummer of rock band Breaking Benjamin, he joined Black Label Society in 2013, replacing Mike Froedge. In 2017, Szeliga replaced Jimmy DeGrasso in Bl ...
– drums (2017–2021)
*
Christian Martucci
Christian Martucci (born June 5, 1977) is an Italian American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He is a dual citizen of Italy and the United States. As of 2013, he is the lead guitar player for the American hard rock band Stone Sour and from J ...
– lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals (2019–2022)
Touring members
*
Luke Morley
Luke Morley (born 19 June 1960 in Camberwell, London, England) is the guitarist, chief songwriter and producer for the hard rock band Thunder from 1989 to present (with a break from 1999–2002, and 2009–2011). Previous to that he wa ...
– guitars, backing vocals (2018)
Timeline
Discography
Albums
Singles
* "Bound for Glory" (2013)
* "Hey Judas" (2013)
* "Kingdom of the Lost" (2013)
* "The Killer Instinct" (2014)
* "Finest Hour" (2015)
* "Charlie I Gotta Go" (2015)
* "Soldierstown" (2015)
* "When the Night Comes In" (2016)
* "Testify or Say Goodbye" (2017)
* "Heavy Fire" (2017)
* "Dancing with the Wrong Girl" (2017)
* "Another State of Grace" (2019)
* "Ain't the End of the World" (2019)
* "Tonight the Moonlight Let Me Down" (2019)
* "Candidate for Heartbreak" (2020)
* "Better Than Saturday Night" (2022)
* "Pay Dirt" (2022)
* "
Crazy Horses
"Crazy Horses" is a 1972 hit single by The Osmonds, the title track from the album of the same name. The song, the only hit record from the Osmonds to feature Jay Osmond as lead vocalist, reached number 14 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and num ...
" (2022)
* "Riding Out the Storm" (2022)
References
External links
The Official Black Star Riders website2015 Scott Gorham interview on Guitar.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Black Star Riders
American hard rock musical groups
Musical groups established in 2012
Musical quartets
Nuclear Blast artists
2012 establishments in the United States