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UFO: A Conspiracy Of Stars
UFO - A Conspiracy Of Stars CD Album Review

UFO: A Conspiracy Of Stars

Melodic Hard Rock
4.0/5.0

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SPV/Steamhammer
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 12.02.2015

A Conspiracy Of Stars has aligned for another occassion. Venerable, should be destined for the O.B.E., English hard rock band UFO returns with their 22nd second album. On board for this album is new member and bass player Joe De Luca, replacing Pete Way (who happens to be working on a new solo album, after battling prostate cancer). And once more I have to add my initial caveat: I'm a huge UFO fan, since the beginning, so I'm more than a little biased in my opnion.

UFO Photo

UFO

Immediately, from the opening moments of The Killing Kind, you're assured that you're still in the current UFO mode, the Mogg/Moore era continues. It's that familiar combination of Mogg's smooth voice with his lyrical mischeif and Vinnie Moore's slick blend of rock and neo-classical guitar with a touch of blues. Moore is essentially the master song craftsman with De Luca and Raymond tossing in some assistance. Of course, Mogg is the wordsmith.

While the album is typical of most everything over the last 15 years, and I liked what I heard, I was hard pressed to be overly impressed with this album. Honestly, I think the last great UFO album was the reunion one of 1995 Walk On Water. I like the Schenker era, as do most long time fans. But I also like the Moore era. It's just different, notably with more earthy blues feeling that probably started with late Nineties Mogg/Way albums (where they also worked with guitarists of a somewhat similar style out of Mike Varney's camp.) Fundamentally UFO has come full circle. Early on they were a guitar band with a creative lyrcist and voice, and so they remain. Moore has signature rules the sound, while Mogg still gives us his lyrical twists and double entendre about life, love, and misogynist relationships.

So A Conspiracy Of Stars is basically another guitar album. I think Rolling Rolling was the only song where Raymond's keyboards really surfaced with some significance. Most songs seem meander along until Moore's leads take hold and rise up. That settled and influential blues influence comes with The Ballad of the Left Hand Gun, a great song, possibly the finest here. Psuedo-ballads emerge with Sugar Cane and One Only, largely average to these ears. Love and relatioships with women get the usual satirical swat down with The Killing Kind and Devil's In The Detail, and apparently in his bed. Did you know he married UK playboy porn chick Emma Caesari? (Do a Google search. She's pretty hot.) But I digress. That song has some true rock groove. As does the earlier Run Boy Run with it's catchy refrain. In the end, with almost every album in the Mogg/Moore era it's taken me several spins to enjoy, but I'll never pass by a single album. If you're a diehard fan like me, you'll want this. (Buy if for the artwork alone.) Recommended.

UFO - A Conspiracy Of Stars (Teaser Video)


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In Short

From the opening moments of The Killing Kind, you're assured that your still in the current UFO mode, the Mogg/Moore era continues. It's that familiar combination of Mogg's smooth voice with his lyrical mischeif and Vinnie Moore's slick blend of rock and neo-classical guitar with a touch of blues.

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