Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Last in Line
Label: Caroline International S&D
Release: 2016
Length: 51:52
Rating: 4.5/5
Last In Line is a band that would never have existed if Ronnie James Dio were still alive. Four out of the five members of this quintet built the backbone of the band Dio back in the eighties, and then some. With Ronnie they recorded his first three studio albums. Let’s run through them quickly: “Holy Diver,” “Last In Line” and “Sacred Heart.” Albums that are now regarded as true hard rock gems in rock’n’roll’s treasure chest!
So. Last in Line were really formed to carry on the legacy of Dio in a credible way. The main players behind the material on »Heavy Crown« are guitarist Vivian Cambpell – a name fans of Def Leppard know very well too – drummer Vinny Appice (ex-Black Sabbath) and bassist Jimmy Bain (ex-Rainbow), who died of lung cancer just before the album came out. This trio created the material by getting together for jams in the studio and just starting to play. Ideas came out spontaneously, and song sketches grew out of them. In a recent interview, Vivian said they were trying to recapture the vibe of recording the first three Dio albums. The guys sent those sketches as mp3 files to Andrew Freeman, who shaped vocal melodies over them and fitted the verses to the right meter.
The twelve songs embody the crew’s incredible commitment, and in the studio they squeezed out an extremely organic, lively record. The chemistry is something special, as it always was, which is to say that with Last In Line, Campbell, Bain and Appice have in a way gone back to the very beginning of their shared journey in Dio. Really, everything stayed the same, except that instead of Ronnie, there’s Andrew Freeman. It’s only logical that Campbell plays guitar totally differently than he does in Def Leppard. Let’s be honest, comparisons are pointless, since Def Leppard are a whole different story. But it’s wonderful to realize that on »Heavy Crown« every path to creative freedom is open to Campbell. What we get on »Heavy Crown« is really an authentic imprint of the essence of Vivian Campbell’s guitar playing. In Def Leppard his role is simply a supporting one, but in Last In Line, Campbell can finally fire off all his creative ammo freely. One more thing. Some of you may have wondered whether the guys used some old guitar riff that never made it onto one of the first three Dio records. That’s not true. All the material on this album is fresh, a creative contribution from the Last In Line crew.
The quality of the tracks is impeccable. This is an exceptionally tight album, packed from head to toe with excellent classic-style hard rock burners and a nice amount of variety between them. In the riffs, the rhythmic feel and Freeman’s singing, these songs will keep reminding you of one Dio track or another. It definitely leans toward the early days of Dio, which makes sense. Vinnie, Jimmy and Vivian just don’t know any other way. That’s the chemistry between them when they show up in the studio together. And when they’re together, the result is exactly the kind of sound and style that »Heavy Crown« delivers, and that the first three Dio albums delivered. Freeman, on the other hand, doesn’t try to imitate Ronnie James Dio. His voice is clean and highly melodic, authoritative in every register he picks, and so a great fit with the core of the songs. With all that said, it goes without saying that this album is tailor-made for fans of classic hard rock, which includes not just Dio but also Black Sabbath in the era without Ozzy, plus Rainbow, Whitesnake and Deep Purple…
»Heavy Crown« is a worthy successor to the classic Dio era in every way, which means Last in Line got exactly what they came for. Sadly, with the late Jimmy Bain gone, the band’s story is probably over, so this album will very, very likely be where it ends.
Lineup
Andrew Freeman – vocals
Vivian Campbell – guitar
Claude Schnell – keyboards
Jimmy Bain – bass
Vinny Appice – drums
Production
Jeff Pilson
Track list
01. Devil In Me
02. Martyr
03. Starmaker
04. Burn This House Down
05. I Am Revolution
06. Blame It On Me
07. In Flames (bonus track; special edition)
08. Already Dead
09. Curse The Day
10. Orange Glow
11. Heavy Crown
12. The Sickness
