Black Star Riders
Black Star Riders are a hard rock band formed in December 2012 from members of the 2011–2012 line-up of Thin Lizzy, who chose to record new material under a different name. The group is based in the United States and County Dublin and remains active. Ricky Warwick fronts the band.
Background and line-up
The band forms when the Thin Lizzy members involved decide not to issue the new material under the Thin Lizzy name. Black Star Riders operates as a full-time band while Thin Lizzy continues on an occasional basis. The original line-up includes lead guitarist Scott Gorham, bass guitarist Marco Mendoza, drummer and founding member Jimmy DeGrasso, and founding member lead guitarist Damon Johnson. The band later changes its personnel several times: Mendoza is replaced by Robbie Crane in 2014, DeGrasso leaves in March 2017 and is replaced by Chad Szeliga, Johnson leaves at the end of 2018 and is replaced by Christian Martucci, and Gorham and Szeliga leave in September 2021. Gorham is not replaced, leaving the band as a quartet. Martucci leaves in June 2022 and is replaced by Wayward Sons guitarist Sam Wood. Gorham and DeGrasso later rejoin the band for UK tour dates as part of the group’s 10th anniversary celebrations.
Albums
The band’s debut album, All Hell Breaks Loose, is released in 2013. It is followed by The Killer Instinct in 2015 and Heavy Fire in 2017, which reaches number six on the UK Albums Chart. The studio albums list also includes Another State of Grace and Wrong Side of Paradise.
Recording and label activity
In 2021 the band announces a worldwide multi-record album deal with Earache Records and says it is entering the studio to begin work on a new album. Wrong Side of Paradise is announced in 2022.
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