Released by: Frontiers Music Slr
Release date: 21 August 2015
Genre: Hard Rock
Links: ratpakrecordsamerica.com/lynch-mob , Facebook
Lineup:
Oni Logan – Vocals
George Lynch – Guitar
Jeff Pilson – Bass
Brian Tichy – Drums
Track Listing:
01. Automatic Fix
02. Between the Truth and a Lie
03. Testify
04. Sanctuary
05. Pine Tree Avenue
06. Jelly Roll
07. Dirty Money
08. The Hollow Queen
09. The Ledge
10. Kingdom of Slaves
11. War
George Lynch has been one of the busiest guys in rock of late, so it seems. Aside from producing a cool 4-track instrumental EP, collaborations with Stryper vocalist Michael Sweet and his old Dokken band mates who’s names aren’t Don Dokken. And arguably, my favorite album of the past year, the power trio KXM (Still cannot get that riff from “Rescue Me” out of my head!), we’re rewarded with a new Lynch Mob album to end the summer!
Oni Logan is back on vocals and does and does a good job, though for some reason he’s sounding to me a little like Mr. Big’s Eric Martin, than he did on the early albums. Consistency comes in the form of T&N collaborators Jeff Pilson and Brian Tichy holding down the rhythm section. Unfortunately, theyre only doing studio duty (what with Pilson’s commitments to The Karaoke Band Masquerading as Foreigner) so it remains to be seen how this material will pan out on the road.
We start off with some great rhythms in “Automatic Fix”, which remind me of “Dysfunctional” era Dokken and even a little of Pilson’s “War and Peace” project. “Between the Truth and a Lie”, a cool throwback to the first two albums and “Testify” have a really satisfying stomp to ‘em-the grove really hooks you. Sanctuary gives us just a taste of the T&N/Dokken vibe.
But then… I dunno. The next four songs kinda lose me. It’s not that George’s riffs aren’t great all the way through but instead of the intensity I’m used to from Lynch Mob, seems like there’s a mix of blues (Pine Tree Avenue), classic rock (Jelly Roll, Dirty Money)and even a little modern rock ballad (The Hollow Queen) that are not all that energetic.
Just as I was getting a little disappointed though, the final three songs finish this off in fine form. “The Ledge”, is a dark, moody piece that hearkens back to the second album. “Kingdom of Slaves” could have been lifted from Tony Martin-era Sabbath (And I mean that in a good way!) and “War” bookends this with the great solo work you expect from George Lynch.
So over all? Maybe I was hoping for overall intensity of the first two LM albums but I guess you gotta give artists room to experiment and grow. Compared to what passes for hard rock on radio today this is still far above and beyond the over – compressed pablum forced upon us by active-rock format radio, and worth your time.
Written by: Anton Meyers
Ratings: Anton 7/10