We all know how in 1984, after 14 glorious years, Thin Lizzy hung up their guitars and leather. As far as founding bassist/frontman/songwriter Phil Lynott was concerned, the band had achieved everything they set out to do and then some. Why not go out on top? Upon the release of 1983’s Thunder and Lightning, that was exactly what they did. But what did life after Thin Lizzy have in store? Well, guitarist John Sykes famously joined Whitesnake. Guitarist Scott Gorham and keyboardist Darren Wharton rather wallowed about, uncertain of what was to follow. And as for our hero Lynott, he, alongside drummer Brian Downey, formed a new outfit named Grand Slam.
Although Grand Slam never made it past the demo stage during their initial run, the band boasted much promise. Thin Lizzy may have been finished, but Lynott was far from such, overloaded with brilliant musical ideas as always. One listen to their posthumous 2002 release, The Studio Sessions, confirms this. These were not half-assed Thin Lizzy throwaways, but rather balls out hard rock anthems, some admittedly more fleshed out than others, ready to be properly recorded and be appreciated by the masses. Alas, this would never happen…not during Lynott’s lifetime at least.
Some 25 years later, guitarist Laurence Archer resurrected Grand Slam with a new lineup, eager to properly record the songs he and Lynott penned in those halcyon days once and for all, alongside new songs in the old school hard rock vein. The result was 2019’s Hit the Ground, which has now been followed by Wheel of Fortune. On this long awaited sophomore outing, Archer and company are as locked in as ever, eager to pay tribute to their fallen leader while simultaneously paving the way for a bright, shining, hard rocking future.
Cuts like “There Goes My Heart”, “Starcrossed Lovers”, and “I Wanna Know!” are radiant glimpses of what could’ve been, steeped heavily in the mid ’80s melodic hard rock tradition with their upbeat delivery and repetitive hooks. Contrasting these are heavier, more adventurous compositions in line with the Thin Lizzy canon, and it’s these moments that happen to be Wheel of Fortune‘s strongest. The groove-along that is “Trail of Tears” captivates with its funky shuffle and heavy handed riffage, not to mention some sharp lyricism. The metallic fury of “Spitfire” sounds straight off of Thunder and Lightning, while “Pirate Song” and “Afterlife” tap into that exotic vein reminiscent of classics like “Emerald”, “Opium Trail”, etc. As much as I selfishly wish the whole album was in this latter vein, I don’t mind myself a solid poppy hard rocker, and there’s plenty of those on here to be enjoyed.
If Wheel of Fortune came out 40 years ago, the once prestigious Kerrang! would give it rave reviews, praising its subtle balance of hard and heavy with a lethal knack for infectious hooks. Unfortunately, they’re too busy covering Hollywood nepo babies and whatever the fuck this is to bother, so leave it to this rabid and proud metal purist to do their job for them. Grand Slam have knocked it out of the park with Wheels of Fortune. Let’s hope for our sake it keeps spinning for years to come.
7 out of 10
Label: Silver Lining Music
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: Thin Lizzy, Gary Moore, UFO
I never knew, Thank you for sharing!
I had on tape for years the BBC live recording of Grand Slam when they played the Kerrang Weekender in Great Yarmouth, UK in mid-October 1984. How they never landed a record deal still amazes me 40 years later! A super review, Joe, many thanks!