THE LIZARDS, COLD BLOODED KINGS CD REVIEW ON ROCK N ROLL UNIVERSE

'Cold Blooded Kings', the third studio album from The Lizards, and their first to feature Riot vocalist Mike DiMeo on vocals, is an incredible journey for classic rock and metal fans. If you've never heard the band before, The Lizards dispense a classic form of bluesy rock in the tradition of Zeppelin, Rainbow, and Purple, and do so quite convincingly, creating a collection of classic songs that can be played over and over again, each time picking up something new one hasn't heard the previous time before. Besides DiMeo, the band also features drummer Bobby Rondinelli (B.O.C., Black Sabbath, Rainbow), bassist Randy Pratt and guitar hero in the making Patrick Klein, whose guitar work recalls the best of Page, Blackmore and Cream era Clapton, which is to say this is quite majestic in nature.

From the opening track "The Opal Crest Of Zed", it's quite obvious this is quality rock. A heavy rocker evocative of pre MTV Whitesnake, DiMeo is in fine voice from the beginning, sounding like a cross between Coverdale and Dio, while Klein delivers some stinging guitar work as Rondinelli attacks the drums in the best Bonham tradition.
Continuing with the swaggering "Cold Blooded Kings" which is anchored by a great bass line courtesy of Pratt, this positively swings, and as befitting a title track is one of the highlights on display here. "Take A Ride" slows the proceedings down a tad, opening with first rate acoustic guitar work from former vocalist John Garner and vocal harmonies which wouldn't be out of place on a Boston album, before exploding into a Zep/Grand Funk like sound. Then there's the massive "Down" , an epic, moody rocker which serves as the album's centerpiece. Reminiscent of Zeppelin by way of Cream, DiMeo's vocals soar over a hefty backbeat, with a performance which would surely make Robert Plant nod in appreciation, Klein firing off classic guitar licks while Rondinelli and Pratt hold down the rhythm like Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. If you've ever bemoaned the fact that "they just don't make em like they used to", well here's proof that, at least in this case they still do."Rising Star" shows off another side of the band's talents, presenting skillful slide guitar from Klein, the song as a whole recalling mid 70's Deep Purple. The Purple influence extends to the next track "Hyperspace" , a hard driving instrumental blues rocker that brings every member's talents to the fore, even showcasing DiMeo's Jon Lord influenced Hammond work, which adds a welcome touch, as he and Klein trade off licks like Purple of old. The funky "Dark Matter" continues the hot streak, a heavy hyper blues that takes off into the stratosphere."We Are Dinosaurs" pokes fun at the band's classic lineage over thundering bass riffs that showcase Pratt's exemplary 6 string bass work to good measure, while proving that these veteran rockers could show quite a few younger bands a thing or two about rocking out. "Magic Cloud", with its Zep groove ends the album on an accomplished note, Klein's grinding riffs leading the way on yet another high caliber performance by the entire band.

Another great thing about the album is the length. In this day and age where bands routinely put out releases that, although they seem to be a great value by clocking in at way over an hour, often contain a lot of filler, this clocks in at approximately 45 minutes, which is perfect, considering the classic nature of the music. No filler here, just damn fine rock and roll from a band who obviously love what they're doing. If you're a fan of blues based heavy rock in the grand '70's tradition, you're going to find a lot to savor on this album. Pick it up today, you'll be glad you did. 4/5 For more info on The Lizards go to www.thelizardswebsite.com