UFO: Seven Deadly Review

  Seven Deadly is the 21st studio album (20th if you don't include the EP "Ain't Misbehavin). One would think that the band would be entering the twilight of their career, resulting a less than stellar album. But, is Seven Deadly like a fine wine? Does the band get better with age? Or, is it time to put the aging UFO (founded in 1968) out to pasture. Let's take a look.

    The album begins with the muscular left-hook of "Fight Night". Singer Phil Mogg's voice is immediately ragged and aged, but to no detriment. The whiskey-growl in his voice really suits the character of the band's later period songs, mostly about loose women, drinking, and other manly pursuits. The song concerns Mexican organized fighting, continuing Mogg's exploration of the land "south of the border". Guitarist Vinnie Moore provides some chunky and heavy riffage, and veteran drummer Andy Parker can still pound the sticks with great ferocity. A great track, very muscular and hard-hitting. "Wonderland" is a song that has puzzled many listeners. Mogg sings of looking for a "monkey" repeatedly throughout the song. What that monkey is, is anyone's guess. In any case, a great track, with some superb vocals and a very catchy chorus.

   The album continues with "Mojo Town". Like many of the band's latter songs, the track is very heavy on the blues. Basically blues-metal (if you feel that is a real genre of music), the song is very heavy. Mogg's raspy voice still sounds amazing, different in character from the early days, but still very hearty-sounding and pleasing. Great vocals are rounded out by some killer lead guitar from Vinnie Moore, every bit as good as "wunderkind" Michael Schenker. A great track. "Angel Station" was a little bit of a sleeper track for me. Not a bad song by any means, but it sounds like an outtake from the somewhat standard-sounding UFO "Monkey Puzzle" album of 2006. The solo is great however, and Mogg's vocals do please, just somewhat slow and lacking the edge and grit of tracks 1-3.

   Next up is "Year of the Gun". A great road song, it easily fits into the loose biker theme that exists throughout this album. Very soulful and bluesy, it fits in very well with the character of this album. The main riff is infectious, a stand-out track on this very good album. "The Last Stone Rider" reminds me of the sound of UFO's 1992 album "High Stakes and Dangerous Men", but recorded much better. Very rootsy sounding, the track certainly has fire and brimstone. Moore is great at mixing the blues with heavy riffing, and this song is not exception. The sixty-three year (at time of recording) Mogg is as feisty and fiery as ever, and I love the part of the track when he sings "fire me up", a great addition to the track. 

   "Steal Yourself" features some great vocal tricks by Mogg. No longer capable of hitting the high notes, he uses a howl-like technique to somewhat mimic those notes, and it really adds an interesting character to the track.  Pretty bluesy and raw-sounding, a decent addition to the album. However, I found the chorus lyrics a little repetitive and Moore's guitars a bit too busy for such a simplistic song. Not a stand-out track, but a decent tune. "Burn Your House Down" is one of the best tracks on the album. Almost a ballad, it seems to tell the tale of a vengeful lover seeking revenge on their former flame. Very brooding and atmospheric, proof that UFO still have plenty of life left in them. A great solo rounds out a very strong track, one that I feel should have been the lead-single from the album.

   "The Fear" is my pick for the best track on the album. Continuing the blues-fest that is Seven Deadly, a crunchy blues riff is backed up by some nice harmonica work, backing vocals, and some of the coolest lyrics ever put to paper. Mogg is a great elder statesman of rock and roll, and this track proves that this a role that suits him quite well. Anyone doubting the quality of UFO's post-Schenker work need only listen to this track to affirm that they are still one of the best British rock bands in existence, even with a combined total age of over 200 years. Last up is "Waving Good Bye". In my opinion, easily the worst track on the album. While I like guitarist/keyboardist Paul Raymond's organ work, the song feels somewhat like filler, very dull considering the bluesy bravado of most of the tracks.

  The LP and deluxe CD contain two bonus tracks. "Other Men's Wives" is a fairly basic heavy-blues based track about violently attacking men that mess with other men's wives. While the lyrics are very enjoyable and gruesome, the music bores somewhat. Lastly, "Bag o' Blues" is an attempt at making a retro-sounding bar-room piano moaner. Mogg is accompanied by just a piano, a very sparse track. Totally different from anything UFO have attempted in the past, an interesting curiosity in their long discography.

  "Seven Deadly" is a very good album, easily their best since 1995's "Walk On Water". While the direction of the band has shifted towards a more blues-based sound, I believe that it really works for them at this point of their career. Any fan of the band should definitely check out this album. 

Rating-8.5/10