Lynch Mob "Rebel"

    Lynch Mob continues to dish out that classic hard rock sound and their new album is no exception. Titled, “Rebel,” the band’s 8th full-length album is full of tasty distorted riffs and slamming rock jams.

    George Lynch is probably one the most hard working guitar players and has been involved in plenty of different projects over the years. Ever since he left Dokken he seems to put out albums under the Lynch Mob banner on a consistent basis. Now, some of those releases were not exactly winners, but the recent albums are getting good reviews from fans. I think having Oni Logan back in the band helps since he sang on that first Lynch Mob album and he also has a strong bluesy hard rock type voice to compliment George’s guitar playing.

    “Rebel,” features eleven tracks of hard rock bruisers. I personally felt the album was very basic sounding in certain areas and did not do much to separate itself from the last Lynch Mob album. The band seems to fall into that category of musicians from the eighties who used to play arenas and now play in bars or casinos. Still, the band’s sound on this album is pretty solid since these dudes have paid their dues on the road and are accomplished rock musicians.

    The opening track, “Automatic Fix,” has an edgy sound and features a hard rock’n main riff. Oni sounds good while he narrates the vocals, but I felt the song was a bit bland in certain sections. Once George started throwing in a few leads and the heavy riffs began to come out, I think the song was able to become strong again. The lead guitar playing does add a little boost of excitement, especially when George messes around with different effects. Songs like “Between the Truth and a Lie,” and “Testify,” start to get a little more interesting. The band puts together some creative rock compositions with catchy melodies and dynamic riffs.

    Songs such as “Pine Tree Avenue” and “Jelly Roll” tend to be more cliché. I personally thought the lyrics were generic and sounded like something a bar band would write. Luckily the final tracks on this album seemed to pick up the slack and finished the album with a few winners. “Kingdom of Slaves,” was a crushing song and Lynch’s riffs had a Sabbath sounding quality to them. The final song, “War,” also seemed to have a heavier tone compared to some of the beginning tracks.

    For a band that is full of musicians have been involved in numerous other projects and are getting up in age, Lynch Mob’s “Rebel,” was an overall decent release. The band is able to write some classic sounding rock tracks with a modern kick. However, if not for George’s playing, I do not think I would have enjoyed the album as much. For anyone who likes hard rock and George Lynch’s guitar work, this album is worth checking out. The band will probably go on tour soon with the release of the album, so check your local rock bars!