Since I got the despatch notification on Saturday afternoon I was hoping that the good old Royal mail would do their thing and deliver the new UFO CD to me today. And they did. Nipped downstairs from the office at lunchtime and there waiting on the mat were two packages from Amazon. One containing Seven Deadly and the other containing the new Vengeance – Crystal Eye. I’ve been a UFO fan longer so Seven Deadly got first listed and the Crystal Eye review will have to wait.
So – UFO. Here we go. For a band which has been around as long as they have, been through has much as they have and despite all that can still boast 75% of a classic line-up they are still producing first class heavy rock songs with some panache, class and enthusiasm. All that is certainly proved on Seven Deadly. Phil Mogg is in fine voice. Crisp, clear, distinctive. Vinne Moore shreds away with some excellent power chords, riffs and mazy, intricate solos. Andy Parker and Paul Raymond do what they always do – provide a rock-solid rhythm section to hang it all together.
Seven Deadly is some CD and in this long-time fan’s opinion a real return to the proper rockier stuff rather than the blues-tinged stuff in the Money Puzzle and the Visitor. It’s right up there with some of the best they’ve done. Old hands at the top of their form, showing their class and still bothering to put the effort in when it’d be easier to fall back on the days of yore and relay on the nostalgia tour scene.
Not for UFO – including the bonus tracks (if you buy that version) you get a dozen all new tracks demonstrating the full range of the talent on offer. Crunching rockers that’ll get right in to your head with things slowed down occasionally with typical UFO-style ballads that still pack a punch. Should sound great live too if anything gets aired on the upcoming tour.
Fight Night gets things off to a fine start and grabs the attention after which the pace is kept up by Woonderland and Mojo Town. Angel Station puts the breaks on a bit then it’s full speed ahead again with Year of the Gun all the way through from there. Some bluesy stuff puts in an appearance though not enough to detract from the overall feeling that this is “proper” UFO and I think Vinnie shows more variation and versatility in his soloing than on the two preceding albums. And the riffs are heavier and “crunchier.”
Some of it reminds me of Making Contact, some of it Obsession, some of it Walk on Water. Though overall Seven Deadly is UFO on top form and should make fans happy both new and old. What more does one want……..? Don’t think about it. Just get a copy for yourself. Now I’ve written this I’m going to listen to it again……
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO GET UFO SEVEN DEADLY FROM AMAZON
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