Simon RushworthRicky Warwick — Fire & Vengeance (Earache)
Ricky Warwick: a reassuringly authentic and compelling voice synonymous with early-90s hair metal antidote The Almighty, Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders.Â
As the frontman for these storied bands — and more — the ubiquitous Ulsterman has soundtracked four decades of deeply affecting rock and roll.
But what about the solo material?
It would be remiss to ignore what Warwick gets up to when he strikes out alone.
And yet we’ve often been guilty of doing just that.
Too many times.
In the autumn of 2024 we even championed his lively Lita Ford collab Don’t Leave Me In The Dark as a Red Hot Track Of The Week.
Given the brilliance of that belting tune, who knows why the following spring’s critically acclaimed Blood Ties long player passed us by?
But it did. And shamefully so.
So it only felt right to do a deep dive into latest solo drop Fire & Vengeance.
To redress the balance.
And to look at Warwick through a different lens.
Turns out Fire & Vengeance is a full-on, full throttle, genre-fluid tour de force, featuring a uniquely talented troubadour at his storytelling, man-of-the-people best.
At every turn, emotive narratives bounce of trademark riffs.
And the main man seamlessly weaves his colourful past into a bunch of songs which speak to the challenges of the present.
Fire & Vengeance is Warwick’s blaze of glory.
Fire & Vengeance boasts star quality
A sprinkling of star guests seems to be the done thing these days but Warwick’s chosen carefully when it comes to honing in on hired hands.
Doug Aldrich, Phil Collen, Charlie Starr and Darren Holden add a complementary flourish to four of the best songs here.
And opening up Fire & Vengeance to a focus group of trusted peers might well be the secret behind this bold album’s undoubted success.
Going solo’s all well and good.
But the isolating nature of a none-band project can prove counter-productive.
Warwick knows that better than most — this is, after all, the ninth record under his own name — and it feels like roping in his pals maintains the pace and pushes the envelope.
Collen comes to the fore (almost casually) on the Bowie-esque Seek Zen Destroy.
And Aldrich adds some furious fretwork to the feisty Hellbent & Heaven Sent.
Starr quality abounds as the voice of Southern rockers Blackberry Smoke adds an almost dreamy,  Stateside cool to When The Kings Fall.
And Holden’s folk rock roots underpin the earthy, countryfied bluegrass of Sweet County Down.
When it’s only him, by the way, Warwick works really fucking hard.
Maintaining a high bar’s non-negotiable and set closer If You Think Your Country Needs You says it best of all.
It’s a platform for the incisive, socio-political angst Warwick excels at.
And it’s an explosive finale to Fire & Vengeance’s dizzying defiance and heartfelt passion.
