LAST IN LINE: Ii (HEAVY METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

In 2011 the line-up of Dio's second album arised under the name of Last In Line, the title of this opus. Since then, the other band to Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard) separated from Claude Schnell to hire Erik Norlander (Duke Of The Orient) on keyboards, lost the talented bassist Jimmy Bain, and released in 2016 "Heavy Crown", first test painted with colors of the little man with the golden voice. 2019 will be the year of "II". So, guys, is the crown still as heavy to wear as ever?

No one at LIL, as some people already call them, will dare to admit it if it were the case, but one thing is certain, on this second attempt the references to the little man with horned fingers have melted like snow in hell. Some snowfields remain, let us call them cultural atavisms, but they are rare. Compared to the first opus, this "II" presents no puny composition's work and shows a more in-depth conceptual application, hasn't skinny harmonic structure and above all is more robust in terms of sound. In short, Last In Line has become a band : exit the tribute band.

Moreover, this second offering is resolutely more varied. For example, we move from heavy metal with big balls with the syncopated "Black Out The Sun" - next to which an elephant would appear to be a ballerina - to the addictive "Landslide" carried by a melody that magnetizes FM waves. Let's also mention the explosive and powerful "Year Of The Gun" - so much so that he forgets the melodic application on the way - which gives way to "Give Up The Ghost", a kind of offspring of Black Sabbath. Then there is the great "Gods And Tyrants" which disperses some Zeppelinian smokes and opposes the trepignant "Electrified", as much electrically tense as melodiously insipid.

The rest is the same way : an ounce of progressive with the blafard "The Unknown", a successful return to Dio with "Sword From The Stone", a melodic hardcore hit here("Love And War"), a hardcore hit not at all melodic and irritating there ("False Flag" which sometimes mixes Blue Oyster Cult)... In short, warm is undeniable, but cold too. On the other hand, a constant remains - and this is fortunate - Vinny Appice provides a remarkable score and his comrade Campbell is here totally unleashed, rid of his Leppardian handcuffs.

So yes, this second opus of Last In Line will be able to appeal to lovers of princes of guitares and drums, lovers of heavy or angry sounds and lovers of musical diversity in the heart of the same album. But the worshippers of the Goddess Melody can go their way, no chance here for them to find the record of the year. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator - Official website

LAST IN LINE

II

FRONTIERS RECORDS

HEAVY METAL