RATINGS: A = must own B = buy it C= average D = yawn F = puke

The Dead Daisies – Burn It Down
SPV
http://thedeaddaisies.com/

Rating: B+

This Supergroup has officially made their first SUPER album! 

Seriously….Burn It Down smokes!

The band is the brainchild of guitarist David Lowy. The man has great rock vision. If you’re going to put out a great album, with great songs…then you’d better get some great musicians! David did just that. Joining him on this album are drummer Deen Castronovo, vocalist John Corabi, guitarist Doug Aldrich and bassist Marco Mendoza.

The star of this show is John Corabi. He has not sung with this much emotion in many years. Hats off to John for finding his groove and exploiting the fuck out it! While Corabi has always been known as a solid voice, his performance on this sucker is top notch. He has a soulful reverence in vocals…that is until he turns into a mother-bleeping rock star screaming fool! This guy is ripping it from beginning to end. His entire effort on the album is passionate and powerful.

The rhythm section of Castronovo and Mendoza proves that a good bass player and drummer make a great band sound even greater. Deen has overcome his share of personal issues and, as this album proves, he is firing on all cylinders once again. Marco Mendoza….what’s not to love?  The low end thumper is a class act, on and off stage. Marco is the glue that sticks it all together.

The guitar players…Lowy and Aldrich are a one/two punch of hard rocking distortion. Both riff, solo and shred…but…come on…Doug Aldrich happens to be one of the best hard rock guitarists in the game today. Lowy holds his own…and in reviews is probably not mentioned enough to be honest. Dougie though…FUCK this guy is good!

The thing that makes this album, when compared to their other releases, better is the perfect blend of technical excellence, a bluesy hard rock vibe and more emotive songwriting. Look no further than “Set Me Free” to hear what I am attempting to describe. This is Gov’t Mule meets DD! The next track, “Dead and Gone” is Skynyrd on steroids! 

There is not a bad track in the bunch.

This band is starting to gel and it’s getting real baby! If they continue to grow and blend with this much musical ferocity then the future is exciting for The Dead Daisies…heck, the ‘right now’ for the band is pretty freaking good too!    

With Burn It Down The Dead Daisies prove they are not just a supergroup…they are a SUPER GROUP!  The original songs are all well produced, well played and sound wonderful. “Rise Up” will have fists pounding.  “Resurrected” is the best song of the bunch…it’s just an excellent hard rocker. “Judgement Day” has many layers. It’s part southern rock, part hard rock and part blues. The band have developed a sound…in which they weave many sounds.  

The band stuck two remakes on Burn It Down. One is by the Beatles and the other one by The Rolling Stones…that, in itself, is pretty cool. “Revolution” sounds nothing like The Fab Four, which makes this a fun and unique version. However…the tune “Bitch” is over the top awesome. It is tempting to call this sucker one of those rare instances where the remake tops the original. Because it is The Stones…I won’t do that. But…suffice it to say this version rawks!

At the end of the day…this is one of the best hard rock releases of 2018. This is a band picking up steam and heading in the right direction.

Burn It Down is a solid outing that will excite fans of every individual band member, as well as fans of The Dead Daisies. 

Buy this CD.

Track Listing
1. Resurrected
2. Rise Up
3. Burn It Down
4. Judgement Day
5. What Goes Around
6. Bitch
7. Set Me Free
8. Dead and Gone
9. Can’t Take It With You
10. Leave Me Alone
11. Revolution (Bonus Track)

By Jeb “Aldrich Rules” Wright