Lynch Mob // Babylon // Album Review

George Lynch and his Mob are back, six years after the last offering they are set to release “Babylin” on the 21st of October and though they may not be reinventing the wheel but they are most certainly flying the flag for good old rock n roll.

“Erase” gets proceedings underway and there is a real of back in the saddle as they ease into this downright rocker that is in the mould of “Wicked Sensation”; new singer Gabriel Colon’s big voice fits Lynch Mob’s style like a glove and with Jimmy D’Anda on drums and Jaron Gulino on bass backing him up it just feels seamless. At the same time, Lynch himself is not too shabby with some great guitar work and a brilliant solo helping to get the album off to a flyer. A thumping drum and bass beat set up “Time After Time” perfectly for Colon to really let loose on the vocals, the kicking rhythm is brilliant and Lynch’s guitar play is immense, a cracking track. There is a harder, edgier feel to “Caught Up”, the riffs are grittier and the pace is up a bit allowing Lynch to run free and work his fretboard magic, Colon’s vocal change on this is excellent and his voice seems to get better with each track, a real contender for track of the album. With its galloping rhythm and killer beat “I’m Ready” could be a Van Halen track, a cross between “Panama” and “Hot For Teacher” that will get you movin’ and groovin’, some slick guitar play from Lynch, cool vocals from Colon with D’Anda and Gulino keeping the tempo hopping, a savage track. “How You Feel” brings the heavy again, Colon drops a few octaves as this bass-led monster runs riot, everything feels frantic and when Lynch lets rip he goes balls out, one of the best tracks on the album. “Million Miles Away” is a power ballad that allows Colon to open up and show the strength of his voice over the band’s quieter tones. To be honest, the stop/start rhythm on “Let It Go” is hit or miss and even though there is a solid groove to the track, it’s not enough to redeem it, unfortunately. More akin to “Wicked Sensation” and “Lynch Mob”, “Fire Master” goes back to the band’s roots with a groove-laden track that is both hard rock and funky, Lynch as always brings the heat and Colon brings out a sneerier side of his vocals while D’Adna and Gulino keep the funk coming with a killer rhythm. “The Synner” has a sleazy rock vibe to it, driven by a booming drum beat, dirty riffs and a rumbling bass line, Colon’s vocals are on point here as he adds some venom to them; they just ooze out of the speakers making you feel a little uncomfortable, another great track. The album closes with the title track “Babylon”, a slow grinding track that has a middle eastern undertone, the band have down-tuned to give a rumbling resonance throughout with Lynch saving his best for last as he drops a solo of epic proportions that last about three minutes and has so many twists and turns it unreal, a beast of a track.

It’s so good to have Lynch Mob back on form, with hopefully more to come like this.

Review: Conor

“Babylon” is out on the 20th of October