Lita ford is back (again) and this time she is doing it for real, after the disaster that was the 2009 release ‘Wicked Wonderland’ that should have never seen the light of day, it was and still is, a truly awful record, However that was then, and this is now, so what has changed ?
Well Lita has changed, gone are the bubble-gum songs off old, like ‘kiss me deadly’. This is a serious record, channelling all her recent pent-up anger over her private life into an album that totally kicks ass.
You only have to Google her personnel life to find she has not been having an easy time lately.
Lita has also played a blinder in recruiting guitar-slinger Gary Hoey to help co-write and produce the record, and what a record it is, the opening tracks of ‘Branded’, ‘Hate’, and ‘The mask’ expose her personnel turmoil for all the world to hear, its only on the title track ‘Living like a runaway’ that things get a little lighter, but there is still a moral to the song.
The next track ‘Relentless’ take us back the hard rocking sounds of the opening tracks, before the most emotional track Lita has ever written ‘Mother’, opens with gentle acoustic strumming. This song is about Lita’s choices regarding her sons, the things she has had to do, the love she has for them, and the truth that they will find out in years to come.
Back to full on hard guitar driving riffs with the next tack ‘Devil In My Head’ then a bit of a lighter track Asylum’ played with some keys, but none the less powerful for it.
‘Love 2 Hate U’ is a duo sung with Gary Hoey, who has done an outstanding job on the album, with great production and some stunning guitar work running throughout.
The last track ‘A Song To Slit Your Wrists By’ was written by Nikki Six for Lita, and I feel it doesn’t fit in with the overall feel to the release, while it’s not a bad song, there is something missing, maybe it’s because Lita or Gary didn’t write it ?
Overall a very solid comeback album 8/10
Tracklist:
01. Branded
02. Hate
03. The Mask
04. Living Like A Runaway
05. Relentless
06. Mother
07. Devil In My Head
08. Asylum
09. Love 2 Hate U
10. A Song To Slit Your Wrists By
Digipak Bonus Tracks:
11. Bad Neighborhood
12. The Bitch Is Back
iTunes Bonus Track:
11. Boiling Point
Band:
Lita Ford – vocals, guitar and keyboards
Gary Hoey – guitar, bass, keyboards and background vocals
Matt Scurfield – drums
Check out Lee Walkers interview with Lita Ford for Planetmosh.