Reviews: Ricky Warwick, Edge Of Paradise, NITE, Streetlight (Matt Bladen)

Ricky Warwick – Blood Ties (Earache Records)

You’d think Ricky Warwick had enough going on with the return of The Almighty, the continued touring and recording with Black Star Riders and also occasionally fronting Thin Lizzy when they’re rolled back out. However it seems he’s a glutton for punishment and has released a new solo album, entitled Blood Ties. Co-written with ex-Buckcherry man Keith Nelson, Blood Ties is an album full of the guitar driven, honest, blue collar rock n roll, never really shifting from what Warwick has been associated with for many years.

Country meets Thin Lizzy on The Crickets Stayed In Clovis, Angels Of Desolation gets the album going with a huge rocker, while Rise And Grind (surely Warwick’s motto?) is a sleazy groover. You can hear Ricky has poured everything into this record, it takes from every part of his career, Blood Ties is the Ricky Warwick songbook, be it the rough-hewn rock of Dead And Gone or the punk of Wishing Your Life Away which reminds me of The Almighty, The Hell Of Me And You which is BSR as Crocodile Tears is more in line with the rest of his solo career and will sound great blasted out by his solo band The Fighting Hearts. 

To add to his Blood Ties on this record he has a few guests appearing with him, they are Billy Duffy from The Cult, Charlie Starr from Blackberry Smoke and Lita Ford who duets with Warwick on the 90’s power pop of Don’t Leave Me In The Dark. Blood Ties is more songs from the coalface of rock n roll, Warwick could easily be the hardest working man in rock n roll but he always seems to ensure quality in his quantity. 8/10

Edge Of Paradise - Prophecy (Napalm Records)

Categorised as "cinematic metallic rock" Edge Of Paradise have had some high profile supports with the big bands that also blend symphonics, electronics and metal. Prophecy is their sixth album and it's an album that in their words "takes a stand against indifference" A call to make us be more human in the unrelenting face of algorithms and artificial intelligence as we head towards "The Singularity" (Google it).

Prophecy is the first album that features 8 string guitars from composer Dave Bates and David Ruiz, so it's a much heavier record than previous, the low end now much more prominent as they use the inspiration of Djent bands for some massive grooves on tracks such as Martyr (Monster) but with The Other Side Of Fear they aren't afraid to go a bit pop either due to Margarita Monet's keys.

Margarita's expressive vocals to mean they can try their hand at various flavours, from the huge Nu-Metal beginnings of Death Note, the gothy Give It To Me (Mind Assassin) which features Ludovico Technique or the breathy creepy balladry of Relive Again. There's huge hangover from the likes of In This Moment and New Years Day on Prophecy, electronics and metal combined in the way that is still very fashionable. Edge Of Paradise get darker with their sixth record and it will open up new avenues for them. 7/10

NITE – Cult Of The Serpent Sun (Season Of Mist)

Filthy, occult, evil NWOBHM-inspired metal now as NITE return with another set of Satanic sermons. Fans of Venom, Celtic Frost, Angel Witch and the early black metal bands formed in the 80’s will find lots to embrace on Cult Of The Serpent Sun. Van Labrakis’ snarled vocals now grunt lyrics that a bit more down to Earth than their cosmos exploring previous album. 

Cult… is NITE writing an album about pace, Labrakis says that fans associate more with the faster songs so on this third album they set down a throbbing Rickenbacker based gallop from Avinash Mittur and a persistent beat from drummer Patrick Crawford on Skull and rarely let things get any slower. The production on this album makes it sound ‘bigger’ than just a wall of noisy blackened rock n roll, a track such as The Mystic has synths and slow burning psychedelia while The Last Blade opens with classical guitars before moving into triumphal anthemic heavy metal. 

Cult Of The Serpent Sun is an album where the rhythms stay true to the roots of NWOBHM, the duelling leads of Labrakis and Scott Hoffman peeling off solos and harmonies with ease on Carry On. A throwback to both the British metal school and the Scandi one, combining both with forward thinking attitude on songs like Tarmut. Blackened NWOTHM that keeps evolving, NITE continue to have a broad appeal to metal fans. 8/10

Streetlight – Night Vision (Frontiers Music Srl)

Frontiers, Sweden, AOR. You know the drill. It’s the new album from Streetlight, their second in total and it’s steeped in tradition but with modern touches so it’d not a proper pastiche. Influences of Foreigner, Survivor and Journey, they balance the saccharine with sturdy, the keys on Long Distance Runner and Captured In The Night especially sounding like Journey. Heck the whole album does and if any point you wanted a songs for movie set in the 80’s but couldn’t afford the licence for Mr Perry, Mr Schon and co, Streetlight could slot in easily. 

There’s vocoder and 808 clap on Sleep Walk, a couple of ballads and anthemic slow songs, a retro return from an era when this music was on every radio station. Guitar and synth driven melodic rock with powerful vocals, it could be 1983 all over again and there’s no other label this could be on than the one named for Journey’s breakthrough record of that same year. Modern production, classic songwriting the influences on this Night Vision are as clear as day! 7/10