Back in 2013 when Black Star Riders (BSR) released their début album, All Hell Breaks Loose (Nuclear Blast) there was plenty of excited interest in a band with former members of Thin Lizzy. Throw in vocalist Ricky Warwick who had not only done a sterling job as stand-in vocalist for the late, lamented Phil Lynott but had regularly proved himself as one of the most productive working rock musicians and expectations for BSR were understandably high.

Fortunately, the début album was strong enough to suggest that could become a serious concern in their own right. And so it has generally proved. Heavy Fire (Nuclear Blast) is the band’s third album and is another collection of expertly crafted and deftly executed rock songs that tell tales of broken romances, getting out of town, fighting the odds and generally being heroic. All present and correct then, sergeant major.

There is a warm familiarity to the songs on Heavy Fire: Black Star Riders have a template and they are resolutely sticking to it. The hard rocking number? ‘Testify Or Say Goodbye’.Check. The mid-paced big chorus number? ‘Dancing With The Wrong Girl’. Check. The big ballady one? ‘Cold War Love’: Check, check and check again. There’s a decent bluesy swagger on ‘True Blue Kid’ which runs the entire gamut of rock’n’roll clichés without one scintilla of shame but is all the better for its bare faced cheek.

On ‘Letting Go Of Me’, the album closer, Warwick sings “Some things never change; I’m really glad they don’t”. It’s a lyric that could sum up this album and this band, if truth be known. Heavy Fire is a solid, no pretentions, no airs and graces, honest to goodness rock album.

If you like your rock music with plenty of melody; songs that are chest-thumpingly anthemic and choruses that swirl around your head all day then this is going to be right up your proverbial strasse. This is not a record that is going to change your world but for 40 or so minutes it will put a smile on your face and make you happy. Cynics will doubtless offer that this is meat and potatoes rock. So what? I like meat and I like potatoes and I like Black Star Riders.

Commendable

7.0/10

MAT DAVIES