Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Lynch Mob
Label: Frontiers Records
Release: 2015
Runtime: 51:52
Rating: 4.5/5
Over the last two years, you’d be hard-pressed to find another name on the modern hard rock scene anywhere on the planet that pops up as often alongside new releases. Whether it’s new solo studio albums, guest spots on all kinds of projects, or, as is the case here, the freshly kicking Lynch Mob. Ladies and gentlemen, here’s another album from the one-of-a-kind master of the six-string bible, George Lynch, and his devilishly good crew.
A super-quick refresher on who Lynch Mob are: they were born in 1989, right after George Lynch left Dokken. This year the band marks 25 years since the release of their debut studio album “Wicked Sensation”, which went gold. Over the rest of their career, Lynch Mob put out 7 more studio albums. The new one, number eight, titled »Rebel«, delivers exactly what the EP »Sun Red Sun« was quietly hinting at. Not only is it an artistic, expressive extension of the musical dossier of the album »Smoke And Mirrors« (2009), which reads as extremely promising, but George Lynch also managed to channel all the big creative inspiration he poured into the EP straight into the new studio album, too.
Oni Logan is the lead vocalist on the album. That’s great. He’s the voice of the band! With his at times »Zeppelin/Free/Bad Company« vocal flavor, full of soulful passion and emotion, Logan once again more than effectively complements Lynch’s vision of laying guitar phrases into the compositions. In terms of that chemistry, »Rebel« confirms that this pair definitely deserves the unblemished label of one-of-a-kind, of a perfect fit. Logan is exceptional in how deeply he lives every note, and with his trademark passionate explosiveness, occasionally dressed up with a bluesy hairdo, he fascinatingly builds up the erotic reach of Lynch’s guitar exposé. Add the wild rhythm tandem directed by Jeff Pilson (bass, Foreigner, ex-DIO, ex-Dokken,..) and Brian Tichy (drums, ex-Foreigner, ex-Whitesnake, ex-Billy Idol,…), who keep gnawing and digging relentlessly throughout the album, and the end result is a powerful hard rock record, where the other three musicians complement, build on and follow the musical vision of Lynch’s ideas with real punch.
Lynch Mob keep the production of their last two studio releases and actually dig deeper into it. The sound stays full-blooded, fat and thick, and »groovy« alive. Organic. Stripped down in a modern way, but at the same time a bit smudged and gently, deliberately crunchy. In its sound production, »Rebel« therefore feels in many ways like a live concert recording, with the songs played in one take. The album comes across solid and compact. The instruments sit in just the right balance, with strong contrasts, yet none of them hogs the spotlight from the others.
The songs are mostly played at a mid-tempo pace, with just two rare speed-ups on the album, in War and Sanctuary. And that very trait is what guarantees the exceptional sonic »groove« (Pine Tree Avenue, Dirty Money), which is also typical of »Smoke And Mirrors« and the latest EP, and which, alongside a barrage of decibels and inventive guitar phrases that Lynch’s genius once again doesn’t skimp on, adds up to a truly devastating, vampiric, metal-tinged storm (for example the song Testify). That very »groove« works hypnotically, enchants the listener and carries an interweaving of erotic darkness, which gives the record a special touch of allure. And the guys certainly don’t skimp on acoustics either. At the right moment, in the right place (the slowed-down The Ledge).
»Rebel« is a venomously infectious hard rock album that masterfully flirts with the classic hard rock elements of the eighties, especially when it comes to the display of that exceptional sense of musicality and the shaping of the guitar phrases, while on the other hand both of those elements are skillfully crossed with a cocky, fat and modern groove production, which gives the album its contemporary charm. It feels very familiar and can stir up feelings of nostalgia, yet at the same time sounds modern, bursting with high-vibrating energy. An album of great freshness, played and recorded with big fat balls. Something only seasoned masters and the biggest musical talents on the planet can deliver.
Lineup
Oni Logan – vocals
George Lynch – guitar
Jeff Pilson – bass
Brian Tichy – drums
Production
Lynch Mob & Chris “The Wizard” Collier
Track List
1. Automatic Fix
2. Between The Truth And A Lie
3. Testify
4. Sanctuary
5. Pine Tree Avenue
6. Jelly Roll
7. Dirty Money
8. The Hollow Queen
9. The Ledge
10. Kingdon Of Slaves
11. War
