Although Ronnie James Dio left our mortal realm a little over a decade ago, his spirit lives on through the various bands and projects of his former bandmates. There’s Dio Disciples, Last in Line, Dream Child, and my personal favorite of the bunch, Resurrection Kings. I was first introduced to Resurrection Kings back in 2015, when they still went under the moniker Black Knights Rising. The lineup consisted of Dream Evil era members Craig Goldy on guitars and Vinny Appice on drums, as well as late Dean CEO Elliot Rubinson on bass and former Royal Hunter singer John West. I remember them blazing through a set of Dio classics that spanned Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and solo years.
Somewhere along the way, Black Knights Rising became Resurrection Kings and inked a deal with who else but Frontiers. Considering it’s been five years since their self titled debut, I assumed RK was a band to file in the “one and done” category. After all, Appice is only busy with about two dozen projects at any given time, and Goldy is pretty active himself. So imagine my surprise when the band announced the release of their long awaited second album, Skygazer. Joining Goldy and Appice on this release is veteran singer Chas West, who is no relation to the aforementioned John West.
Skygazer carries on the old school melodic metal formula of 2016’s self titled debut. It unsurprisingly draws heavily from the Dio/Rainbow well. You’ve got high energy ragers like “World’s on Fire”, “Is This the End”, and “Calling All Angels,” which boast Blackmore inspired riffs and the gut punching vocals of West. Contrasting these are cuts like “Angry Demons” and “Savior of Souls”. “Angry Demons” is slow, menacing, and cryptically heavy with an epic atmosphere, sounding straight off of Dream Evil. Meanwhile, “Savior of Souls” is one of a handful of tracks showcasing AOR nuances. The all around dark atmosphere gives off serious Magnum and Phenomena vibes. Characteristic of most Frontiers releases, there’s also an anthemic 80s power ballad (“Don’t Blame Our Love”) and soulful Whitesnake flavored hard rock (“Tears”, “Set Me on Fire”).
Taking all this into consideration, I’m shocked Skygazer was completely written and recorded remotely. The songs are so cohesive, more so than most all star Frontiers projects. You’d believe these guys got together and created this album in the same room, but according to Appice, this was anything but the case. Appice also pointed out some discrepancies in the album’s final mix, specifically that the drums are buried. Unfortunately, he is correct. There are certain times (the title track) when the mix just sounds “off” altogether. The 50/50 mix is the only thing holding this otherwise excellent collection of hard and heavy headbangers back.
Despites it’s sonic inconsistencies, Skygazer is pure melodic metal magic. Goldy and Appice are as locked in on this album as they were on Dream Evil nearly 35 years ago. West is no Dio, but who is? He still manages to hold his own. At this rate, the next Resurrection Kings record won’t come out until 2026. I’m sure Skygazer will hold me over until then.
7 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
For fans of: Dio, Rainbow, Whitesnake