A long, long time coming, and I have to admit being a fan of the first Lynch Mob record like I was, I had my doubts that they would be able to follow it up with anything approaching the sexy, bluesy and ballsy “Wicked Sensation”. After living with the album in my car stereo for a couple weeks I can honestly say I’m blown away. I hear a lot of supposed “comeback albums” that either are so far from what made the band special in the first place, or it’s so close that you have the sense they faked it just to recreate a classic sound. “Smoke and Mirrors” is neither of these things and would find a place in my collection even if I had never heard any of Lynch Mob’s previous efforts.
The leadoff track, “21st Century Man” brings back all the savage groove found on “Wicked”, but with the added ingredients of some additional maturity in the lyric department as well as a tighter, more focused guitar sound. As you listen through the album, you hear exactly what you hope to hear from a Lynch Mob record in the sleazy grooves of “My Kind of Healer”, “Let the Music Be Your Master”, and “Madly Backwards”. But you also hear some serious, no pulling punches riffing like in “Time Keepers” and “We Will Remain”.
“But wait” you say, “I like ballads, what about that?” well have no fear, George and Oni show without a doubt that Don Dokken is not the only one who can write an emotional piece of music with “Before I Close My Eyes” (one of my favorite tracks), and “Lucky Man”. There are a couple that don’t exactly sound like they fit the mold, and are perhaps a bit more experimental (don’t worry, not in a “Smoke This” kind of way!), like “The Phacist” and the bonus track “Mansions in the Sky”, but these are not bad songs, just different and I’ve come to like them as well. Another favorite of mine is the smoky blues of the reproachful “Where Do You Sleep at Night”.
In short this is no one dimensional album, and should please fans of not just Lynch Mob and/or George Lynch in general, but just good, bluesy hard rock with great musicians playing it. I for one will be making it a point to see them on this tour, hope to see you there!
