I never thought I would see the day that the Riverdogs would put out anew CD. After the band's, hard to get and very rare, sophomore release Bone (1993), I was sure that they were done for good. Too bad Bone didn't get the exposure it should have, because the band might have carried on. I think with the departure of Vivian Campbell (Ex-Dio, Def Leppard, Thin Lizzy), after the debut, as well as the rise of grunge, that that record, like many others from that time period, got buried. Fast forward to 2011 and the Riverdogs are back, Campbell included. The band have just released their first CD in over 18 years called World Gone Mad. To be truthful here, most of the tunes were from demos recorded back in 03, but have just been updated for this release. World Gone Mad is an 8 track release that will hopefully spawn further releases.
Unlike the band's self titled debut, World Gone Mad is less guitar oriented and focuses more on the songwriting. The band has always been about good songs, but on the first record Campbell really shined on the guitar, and I think that was part of the selling point back in the day. The new CD has Vivian more subdued and subtle, with some songs not including solos. That was disappointing, but I digress. Campbell has really taken this route since joining Def Leppard, so I wasn't too surprised.
Thank goodness the songs are so strong on this record, because you almost don't even miss the ripping. Rob Lamothe and Co. have crafted some classic melodic songs that will stick with you and keep you singing them for days. Songs like the title track and Best Day of My Life are instant classics. The songs are hook layden and just plain rock. My only critique, was that the CD was too short, which kept me craving more.
Bottom Line: Solid hard rock with a bluesy edge. Great songs that will sit with you. A welcome return by a highly underrated band.
Standout Tracks: Best Day of My Life, World Gone Mad, Big Steel Town and This Empty Room.
-Ragman can only hope that these guys will continue putting out music.