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Black Star Riders | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Genres | Hard rock |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Labels | |
| Spinoff of | Thin Lizzy |
| Members |
|
| Past members | |
| Website | blackstarriders |
Black Star Riders is a hard rock band formed in December 2012. The band began when members of the 2011–2012 line-up of Thin Lizzy decided to record new material, but chose not to release it under the Thin Lizzy name. While Thin Lizzy continues on an occasional basis, Black Star Riders is a full-time band,[1] described as "the next step in the evolution of the Thin Lizzy story".[2] The band's first album, All Hell Breaks Loose, was released on May 21, 2013,[3] and the follow-up album, The Killer Instinct was released on February 20, 2015.[4] The band's third album, Heavy Fire, was released on February 3, 2017, and reached number six on the UK Albums Chart.[5]
Black Star Riders is fronted by Ricky Warwick, and originally featured lead guitarist Scott Gorham and bass guitarist Marco Mendoza. Mendoza was replaced by Robbie Crane in 2014. Drummer and founding member Jimmy DeGrasso left the band in March 2017,[6] and was replaced a few weeks later by Chad Szeliga. Another founding member, lead guitarist Damon Johnson, left the band at the end of 2018 to be replaced by Christian Martucci. Gorham and Szeliga left the band in September 2021, the latter being replaced by Zak St. John. Gorham was not replaced, leaving the band as a quartet. Martucci left in June 2022, and was replaced in November by Wayward Sons guitarist Sam Wood.
On September 20, 2021, the band announced a new worldwide multi-record album deal with Earache Records and that they would be entering the studio in October 2021 to begin recording a new album.[7][8][9][10]
On June 6, 2022, the band announced their new album Wrong Side of Paradise, as well as a 10th anniversary UK tour. Scott Gorham and Jimmy DeGrasso rejoined the band for the UK tour dates as part of the 10th anniversary commemorations.
- ^ "Thin Lizzy to End, Black Star Riders to Begin". noise11.com. December 20, 2012.
- ^ "New Band! New Album! Touring Plans!". Official website. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
- ^ "Black Star Riders announce debut album title". Black Star Riders official website. March 8, 2013.
- ^ "Black Star Riders name second album". Classic Rock. November 21, 2014.
- ^ "Official Album Charts Top 100 – 10–16 February 2017". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
- ^ "Black Star Riders: Drummer Jimmy DeGrasso is out of the band". Ultime Guitar. March 29, 2017.
- ^ "SCOTT GORHAM Quits BLACK STAR RIDERS to Focus on THIN LIZZY". Blabbermouth.net. September 20, 2021. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ "Black Star Riders - Sign To Earache Records". Metal Storm. September 20, 2021. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Michels, Alexandra (September 20, 2021). "BLACK STAR RIDERS - Neues Album und Ausstieg von Scott Gorham angekündigt". Rock Hard. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ "Scott Gorham leaves Black Star Riders". Planet Rock. September 20, 2021. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2021.