Another State of Grace in Bloomington, MN

The follow-up to 2017's remarkably solid
Heavy Fire
,
Another State of Grace
sees the Tombstone-loving,
Thin Lizzy
-adjacent quintet deliver another streamlined set of workmanlike classic rock with a confectioner's stroke. It's also the first
Black Star Riders
studio outing for new drummer
Chad Szeliga
of
Breaking Benjamin
and
Black Label Society
fame --
Jimmy DeGrasso
left amicably after completing the
tour -- and
Stone Sour
guitarist
Christian Martucci
, who took over for
Damon Johnson
in 2018 after the long-tenured six-stringer left his post to focus on session work and a solo career.
wastes little time getting to the point. Opener "Tonight the Moonlight Let Me Down" commences with a steely pick-slide before settling into the widescreen amalgam of hook-laden hard rock and open-road Americana that the band has been peddling since jettisoning the
name in 2013. Longtime vocalist
Ricky Warwick
remains a formidable singer, putting his own spin on the late
Phil Lynott
's distinctive cadence, especially on
Lizzy
-esque gems like "Ain't the End of the World, "Poisoned Heart," and the rousing title cut, the latter of which looks to the Celtic pub rock attack of "Whiskey in the Jar" for inspiration. As per usual, the group's signature guitarmonies are on point, with
Martucci
proving to be just as adept at alchemical riffage as
Johnson
, and on par with longtime
BSR
/
guitar ace
Scott Gorham
. Produced with some considerable punch by
Jay Ruston
(
Uriah Heep
),
isn't as immediately satisfying as its predecessor, but like all things built with care, it attains a golden patina over time. ~ James Christopher Monger