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Lonerider: Down In The Dust
Lonerider - Down In The Dust Album Art

Lonerider: Down In The Dust

Melodic Blues Hard Rock
4.0/5.0

Something of a nostalgic English supergroup, Lonerider and their debut album, Attitude, appeared in 2019. The band features legends of the hard rock genre: Steve Overland (FM, Shadowman), Steve Morris (Heartland, Shadowman), Chris Childs (Thunder, Shadowman) and legendary drummer Simon Kirke of Free and Bad Company.

Lonerider - Click For Larger Image

Lonerider (circa: 2019)

The quartet would return three years later with Sundown, following a similar formula and enlarging their fan base. Now the band returns with their third studio album, Down In The Dust, again on England's Escape Music label. The long player finds the band returning as quintet with the addition of Steve Mann (MSG, Lionheart) on piano, keys, and especially Hammond organ for more Seventies deja vu.


Again, Lonerider is not reinventing their sound. As with the previous two recordings, Down In The Dust has a classic rock sound reminding of Seventies hard or heavy rock with a blues groove accompanied by soulful vocals. Merge Shadowman (of which Overland, Childs, Morris are members) with Seventies icon Bad Company, and there you are. I'm guessing, if you're under the age of 50 years, you'll find this pure "Throwback Thursday" stuff, and not in your modern rock wheelhouse.

Nevertheless, there is some arguably well-intentioned hefty blues rock here. Notable favorites for this listener were Back Behind The Wheel, Getting Closer, Blue Collar Man, the catchy Broken Down Town, and subtle blues anthem, Cool Hand. However, my hands down favorite was the lively and immediately catchy Actions Speak Louder Than Words. It should have been the first single.

All said, with Down In The Dust, Lonerider, now a quintet, return to their classic blues-infused and soulful melodic hard rock reminiscent of Seventies classic rock. Recommend, especially if you are a fan of the band.

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The Take Away

With Down In The Dust, Lonerider, now a quintet, return to their classic blues-infused and soulful melodic hard rock reminiscent of Seventies classic rock. Recommend, especially if you are a fan of the band.

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