ALBUM REVIEW: THE DEAD DAISIES – RADIANCE

Shane | 12 October 2022 | Reply

ALBUM REVIEW: THE DEAD DAISIES – RADIANCE
SPV
30 September, 2022
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
90%

The mighty Face Your Fear kicks off album number six for The Dead Daisies, and immediately Glenn Hughes reminds us why he earned the “Voice of Rock” moniker all those years ago. That his voice remains so rich, soulful and full of power in his seventies is just incredible – I guess rock n’ roll really does keep you young.

The revolving door policy seems to suit The Dead Daisies – any cynics who considered the outfit David Lowy’s pet vanity project have long been silenced. This is a band – albeit a relatively fluid one – which has proven itself with excellent record after excellent record.

Drummer Brian Tichy returns for Radiance, his heavy hitting with Whitesnake, Foreigner and Ozzy Osbourne obvious as he locks instantly in with Hughes’ throbbing bass. Guitarist Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio) has rarely sounded heavier, his riffs laying a formidable bedrock for Hughes, who he toured with before either were tapped to join The Daisies, and that rapport is obvious to the listener.

Radiance could fit on any Tony Iommi album, whereas the uplifting Born to Fly deftly balances soaring and catchy melodies with riffs that could grind bones to dust.

Lowy may be the Chancellor of the Dead Daisies Exchequer, but he knows a good musician when he sees one and has assembled perhaps the best line-up of the band yet. Hughes’ influence is all over Radiance, not just vocally and in the rhythm section, but the songs all bear his style, his presence and his charisma. His fingerprints are so all-pervading as to make this almost a Glenn Hughes album.

Courageous is another uplifting anthemic track which is guaranteed to get fists pumping the air and throats sore from shouting along. That Hughes performs it seemingly so effortlessly makes it too easy to overlook the rest of the band, but this is a joint effort and The Dead Daisies are on FIRE.

Aldrich’s riff on Cascade is part-Iommi, part-Brian May, all-rock god, and Hughes’ past collaborations with the Sabbath riffmeister have him well and truly prepared to step up for this slightly left-of-centre banger.

Radiance is a fantastic album – an old school rock and roll album made by a great band, where songs come first, performances lift to match the material, and producer/mixer Ben Grosse has ensured that the sound coming out of the speakers is nothing short of immense.