Over the last five years the Dead Daisies have produced three damn good studio albums, a rather tasty live album and now their fourth album ‘Burn It Down’ is about to drop. It’s an album that does what it says on the tin – it takes that mellow, assured classic rock they’ve become known for and rips up the rule book, throws in some heavier influences, deeper blues notes and in opener ‘Resurrected’ it simply lets rip, delivering a hard rocking masterpiece that’s louder than everything that’s come before and sees Corabi, who is excellent throughout, channeling his inner Ronnie Van Zant. ‘Rise Up’ that follows it just as hard and just as intensely enjoyable.
Every time the release a studio album they seem to build upon the previous and here its no different except that you could argue that rather than the usual arc of progression this one has climbed rather faster and further. ‘Burn it Down’ is far heavier that anything The Daisies have done to date. It’s hard rock with aggression and a Bluesy edge that is really exposed on songs like the mellower ‘Title Track’ which has all the power of vintage Whitesnake but with a smouldering heavy edge that gives it a touch of Soundgarden. It’s heady stuff.
‘Judgement Day’ that follows that impressive opening salvo is a heavy rock blues rock classic that very much reminds you of the best of ‘old’ Whitesnake with that heavier touch again very much to the fore. ‘What Goes Around’ is build on a great Aldrich riff and huge Mendoza and Castronovo groove and has the insistence that all the best songs do as the groove ear-worms its way into your consciousness.
The Daisies are of course well-known for their cover versions and ‘Bitch’ may well be their best yet, The Rolling Stones ‘Bitch’ always had one of the greatest riffs and here it’s lovingly handled, essence extracted and all the right emphasis is put on turning it into a hard rocking classic.
Every album of course needs it’s mellow moments, especially on an album where the rocking dial has been turned up into new territory. ‘Set Me Free’ is that song and it builds and sets sail wonderfully, with its course steered by that wonderful set of lungs of Mr. John Corabi, who of course also has his own ‘Live ’94’ album out at the moment.
There’s more Southern infused groove on ‘Dead and Gone’ and ‘Can’t Take it With You’ the ninth of ten lean and mean tracks might just be one of the best and you wonder for a minute if it’s a song written for remaining founder member David Lowy.
The final word goes to ‘Leave Me Alone’ a song that reminds you of late 70’s vintage Aerosmith it’s not surprisingly therefore one of my favourites and surely a certainty to make the set-list. For a band who already set a high bar for themselves in the past this is their ’11’moment, next time we’ll see if they can crank it up to ’12’.
Released on April 6, the band will kickoff a 26-date UK and European tour beginning April 8 in Glasgow, UK. Let’s hope they make it Down-under this year.
