It’s no secret that in the music world, all good things must, and will come to an end. But in the case of Thin Lizzy things are a little different. The band have today announced that Thin Lizzy will be no more, making way for Black Star Riders.
The new outfit will consist of core members Ricky Warwick (vocals), Scott Gorham (guitar), Damon Johnson (guitar), and Marco Mendoza (bass) and according to Blabbermouth, sees the introduction of the new kid Jimmy DeGrasso on drums, though with bands such as Alice Cooper, Megadeth and Suicidal Tendencies already on his resume, he’s hardly green.
The new lineup sees Brian Downey left out after he announced that the touring commitments that follow a new album would be too much. Nor will Darren Wharton be included. Wharton has elected to focus on other projects in both film and music.
After some doubt as to whether or not Thin Lizzy would be working on a new album, and a tweet confirming it would happen, the band will enter the studio as Black Star Riders at a Los Angeles studio in January with visionary Kevin Shirley.
Of the yet-to-be-titled release, vocalist Ricky Warwick says, “We are all very excited about the music that we have created for Black Star Riders. The synergy between the five of us has been phenomenal and I can’t wait for the world to hear these songs,”
For those feeling a bit concerned, the new band’s vibe is said to be in a similar vein to classic Thin Lizzy but sees a noticeable departure.
The album will be facilitated through Nuclear Blast Records, with new top dog Monte Conner (ex Roadrunner Records A&R) at the helm. It’s the first band signed under Conner’s management of Nuclear Blast Entertainment. As for touring, the band will first hit the European festival circuit, before heading all over the world to showcase the release.
There’s no word yet on whether we will be seeing Thin Lizzy or Black Star Riders supporting Kiss / Motley Crue. The same can be said for the recently announced Thin Lizzy Australian tour dates.
