Nuclear Blast president Monte Conner says he wasn’t put off signing Thin Lizzy even when they decided to change their name.
Last week the band exclusively revealed via Classic Rock the reasons behind using a new title, Black Star Riders, and the departure of drummer Brian Downey and keyboardist Darren Wharton.
Ricky Warwick, Scott Gorham, Damon Johnson, Marco Mendoza and new drummer Jimmy DeGrasso will start work on their debut album next week alongside producer Kevin Shirley.
And Conner insists he didn’t think twice about signing the band – even though the change of name could affect their public profile.
The former Roadrunner A&R icon says: “As a lifelong Thin Lizzy fan I was floored by this lineup’s new material.
“Not only do the new songs sound like Thin Lizzy, they sound like classic Thin Lizzy.
“Black Star Riders totally captures the essence of what was great about the original band, while at the same time adding something totally fresh and modern.
“Even when I heard the band decided to change their name, my interest in signing them did not waved for one second.”
Black Star Riders’ album is due for release in May, with a world tour to follow which will include Phil Lynott era Lizzy tracks in the set.
Frontman Warwick recently said: “We are all very excited about the music that we have created. The synergy between the five of us has been phenomenal – I can’t wait for the world to hear these songs.”
-Classic Rock Magazine
You must log in to post a comment.