Returning with their fourth studio album since 2013, hot on the heels of 2017’s live album Live and Louder, The Dead Daisies are a Frankenstinian hybrid of rock history that are resistant to any state of pushing up daisies. Due out on 6th April 2018, Burn It Down employs comrades of Whitesnake, Dio, Journey, Thin Lizzy and Mötley Crüe to produce a self-proclaimed face-melter of an album.
From the starting pistol of ‘Resurrected’ to the checkered flag of ‘Leave Me Alone’, The Dead Daisies show no reserve in peacocking their past fruitions. With the punk urgency of Mötley Crüe and the nasty blues of Whitesnake, The Dead Daisies make their ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ stance on rock music clear.
However, whilst it’s inconceivable to suggest that these musicians lack the soul of rock’n’roll – hell, their collective resume puts to bed any such claim – Burn It Down enters the realm of ‘contrived musical formula’. Jaded lyricism and an unsettling tip-of-the-tongue familiarity to their music may fail to excite some rock fans. On the contrary, Burn It Down could be the long lost [insert 70s/80s hard rock band] album substitute that momentarily settles the baying of the ever-hungry hounds.
Nonetheless, the gargantuan “What Goes Around” is a fierce head-turner of freight train-heavy guitar, whilst “Judgement Day” juxtaposes organic, humble acoustic guitar with an eventual eruption of a nose-scrunching level of gnarly riffage. Mean streaked riffs riddle Burn It Down; a scorching trail of jagged notes that will no doubt elicit highly enthused shrieks of the Spinal Tapism ‘turn it up to eleven!’
Meanwhile, the rugged “Rise Up” is the musical equivalent to Popeye’s tin of spinach: a tangible portion of headstrong revival. “Dead and Gone” struts with all the cool of Steve McQueen, and rightly demonstrates how well the rough edge of John Corabi’s vocals withstands the Herculean strength of The Dead Daisies’ instrumentation where others’ would get swallowed hole.
Standing on the shoulders of giants is the very essence of rock music evolution. It’s Soundgarden standing on Led Zeppelin, standing on Little Richard, standing on Sister Rosetta Tharpe. It’s Tyler Bryant standing on Tom Petty, standing on Elvis Presley, standing on Arthur Crudup. So whilst The Dead Daisies have presented us with a veritable gumbo of their legendary curriculum vitae that has perhaps been re-heated once too many times, it’s important to acknowledge their dedication to fanning the fire of the torch they have all helped to carry.
Catch The Dead Daisies on their Burn It Down tour this year:
UK (with special guests The Treatment & The Amorettes)
APRIL
Sunday 8th Garage Glasgow, UK
Monday 9th Robin 2 Bilston, UK
Tuesday 10th Koko London, UK *
Thursday 12th Academy 2 Manchester, UK
Friday 13th Rock City Nottingham, UK *
Saturday 14th Academy Bristol, UK *
EUROPE (with special guests The New Roses)
APRIL
Monday 16th 013 Tilburg, NET
Tuesday 17th Biebob Vosselaar, BEL
Wednesday 18th Markthalle Hamburg, GER
Friday 20th Sticky Fingers Gothenburg, SWE
Saturday 21st Parkteateret Oslo, NOR
Sunday 22nd Klubben Stockholm, SWE
Tuesday 24th Pumpehuset Copenhagen, DEN
Wednesday 25th Rosenhof Osnabrueck, GER
Thursday 26th Backstage Werk Munich, GER
Friday 27th Barba Negra Track Budapest, HUN
Sunday 29th Simm City Vienna, AUS
MAY
Tuesday 1st Thanks Jimi Festival Wroclaw, POL
Thursday 3rd Kesselhaus Berlin, GER
Friday 4th Schlachthof Wiesbaden, GER
Saturday 5th Live Music Hall Cologne, GER
Sunday 6th Le Trabendo Paris, FRA
Tuesday 8th Z7 Pratteln, SWI
Wednesday 9th Live Club Trezzo (Milan), ITA
Friday 11th Zentral Pamplona, SPA
Saturday 12th Mon Madrid, SPA
