The Dead Daisies – ‘Light ‘Em Up’

That’s the accepted definition of a supergroup and it appears to be an apt description of rockers The Dead Daisies. I’ve never been overly comfortable with the descriptor of supergroup, as I feel it can create a hype that doesn’t always live up to expectations… but over the last 10 years or so, The Dead Daisies have come to be the epitome of the definition, with alumni including the legendary ‘Voice of Rock’ Glenn Hughes, bassist extraordinaire Marco Mendoza, Jon Stevens of INXS, Guns ‘N Roses guitar slinger Richard Fortus and longtime keyboardist Dizzy Reed as well as one of the hardest hitting drummers in rock, current Journey stickman Deen Castronovo to name a few. That’s before we even look at the current line-up of returning frontman John Corabi (Motley Crue), guitarist Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake), bassist Michael Devin (Whitesnake), drummer Tommy Clufetos (Black Sabbath) and the brains behind the group, businessman and guitarist David Lowy. The band’s history is a who’s who of rock n roll! Supergroup indeed!

Formed by the only remaining original member, David Lowy, in 2012 and with a self-titled album released the following year, the band quickly garnered support from rock fans around the world. But it’s fair to say that success and acclaim really started with the introduction of Corabi on vocals in 2014, with the addition of Mendoza and later, Aldrich and Castronovo, taking them into the rock stratosphere! Live shows were sold out and albums snapped up. Rock fans simply couldn’t get enough of The Dead Daisies. But by 2018, after four studio albums and a covers album, it was all starting to sound a bit… well… tired and predictable. Something new was needed to give the band fresh impetus and the opportunity to do so came with the departure of Corbai and Mendoza, allowing the legendary Glenn Hughes to join the band on vocal and bass duties, becoming a four-piece for the first time. The two albums with Hughes were powerful and full of energy, with a bold new sound. It was the shot in the arm that the band required but it’s fair to say that it also split the fans, with some struggling with the new direction.

When Hughes departed in 2023, it was back to drawing board, with fans and critics alike wondering who would be next on the The Dead Daisies merry-go-round of musicians… and to their great delight, Corabi announced his return like a rock n roll prodigal son, with former Whitesnake bassist Devin also joining. The new line-up of Corabi, Aldrich, Devin, Lowy and Clufetos wasted no time in getting into the studio and the fruits of their labour, ‘Light ‘Em Up’ is due for release on 6thSeptember 2024. But will it build on the fresh, new soundthey crafted with Hughes or return to the same tried and tested formula that served them so well for their initial run of albums?

The title track opens the album with a bluesy AC/DC-style riff that rips through your speakers. It’s fast-paced and made for air-guitaring around your living room, workplace or anywhere else you happen to be whilst listening. The experienced rhythm section of Devin and Clufetos drives the song on, allowing Aldrich to throw out riffs and power chords and Corabi to be… well… Corabi! Second track ‘Times Are Changing’ follows the same blues-rock based formula and fast paced tempo, with Corabi’s voice sounding in particularly fine fettle when he sings pretty much unaccompanied at times during the verses, whilst Aldrich gets the opportunity to solo in the kind of manner that got him noticed by David Coverdale a quarter of a century ago! The wonderfully and bravely titled ‘I Wanna Be Your Bitch’ still has that AC/DC-style rhythm guitar riffing (and that’s a good thing!) but it’s slightly harder edged and less bluesy than the first two trackand has an air of primetime Ace Frehley.

The pace slows ever so slightly with ‘I’m Gonna Ride’ and there’s something quite familiar about it that initially I couldn’t put my finger on… until I realised that it could be a relative (albeit a very distant relative!) of AC/DC’s classic anthem ‘For Those About to Rock’. The sound, the chords, the structure, the guitar solo, the feel… it’s all there and for me, that’s a huge positive! ‘Back to Zero’ is a lot darker and more menacing sounding, more like the sound heard during the band’s Glenn Hughes era, showing that the rock legend certainly had some kind of influence that remains somewhere in The Dead Daises rock DNA.

‘Way Back Home’ returns to a bluesy feel that’s almost Led Zeppelin-like but with the type of huge chorus that The Dead Daisies is known for. If you listen to Clufetos’ drums with your eyes closed, you can almost see John Bonham! ‘Take a Long Line’ is almost punky; fast, furious and full of swagger, with Devin’s bass front and centre at times. ‘My Way and the Highway’ is standard rocker; the kind you’d maybe hear in a bar somewhere in the US mid-west. But there’s a punch to it that makes you want to dance and groove… and the air guitar can fly again during Aldrich’s solo!

It's been a fast and furious ride from the outset, so there’s maybe an element of aural relief at the much slower, ballad-like penultimate track ‘Love That’ll Never Be’. It’s very much in the vein of the band’s debut album, with a softer rock sound. It’s most definitely not an out and out ballad but it’s certainly more musically laid back and reflective, with a sublime guitar solo that perfectly suits the feel of the song.Final track ‘Take My Soul’ is an atmospheric track that took me to Robert Johnson, the Crossroads, the railroads and everything else that reminds me of an almost Western-like landscape! All that’s missing is the tumbleweed! That feeling remained even when the song burst to life with a sing-along vocal part and a wonderfully bluesy instrumental section and solo midway through. It had me tapping my feet, my fingers, my head… and I’m sure even the dog started nodding along to the beat! What a great way to end the album!

‘Light ‘Em Up’ is the album The Dead Daisies needed to make. They needed a new statement of intent, bringing back some of the elements of the past that made them so popular in the first place and merging them with the bold sound of the Glenn Hughes era to create something completely different. They’ve done that and more… but have also added clear elements of rock history to the mix, with a guitar sound and riffs that nod to AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and other rock greats, whilst remaining reassuringly Dead Daisies. This could very well be one of the best albums they have made to date.

It's pure rock n roll… and it’ll light you up!

‘Light ‘Em Up’ is released on Friday 6th September 2024, followed by a UK Tour with dates in Brighton, Torquay, Southampton, Holmfirth, Glasgow, Nottingham, Wolverhampton, Newcastle, Manchester, Swansea, Bristol and London before heading to Europe in November.