Thunder.
The English rock formation Thunder is as old as our modern democracy. It was formed in London in 1989 by singer Danny Bowes, guitarist Luke Morley and drummer Gary James. The band launched the very next year with their debut album Backstreet Symphony, which reached number twenty-one in the UK charts. To this day, many fans still consider Backstreet Symphony to be the best album Thunder have released. This March, their new release, All The Right Noises (2021), hit the market. And it's apparently entitled to change the minds of some loyal listeners. Like all musical works produced in this unusual era, it has a particular history. Completion occurred in January 2020, the final mix was finished in March and the band was ready to hit the road for a stadium tour. Due to the circumstances, however, a live version of eight songs was still rehearsed and appeared on the two-CD version. The band's thirteenth album is well placed to build on the excellent placings of previous Wonder Days (2015), Rip It Up (2017) and Please Remain Seated (2019) - always in the UK top ten. The sprightly opening track Last One Out Turn Off the Lights aspires to be a clear hit, while the mid-set list-placed I'll Be the One is again the rock ballad of the year. The solo, cut by Morley, has a Mayan instrumental sound, delicate yet emphatic. Hard rock from an earlier time (meant positively) is, for example, Young Man or the slightly ironic You're Gonna Be My Girl, which features backing vocalists Julie McGuire and Carly Green. The classically constructed guitar riff in the latter track is worth a close listen. St. George's Day expresses disappointment in the current state of the world. From the lyrics, with the help of harmony, one can read a criticism of the escalation of racism, populism and xenophobia. The closing, rhythmically pleasing She's a Millionairess, embellished with poignant back vocals, is a worthy end to a successful hard rock record. The slightly pathetic Don't Forget To Live Before You Die and the acoustic Smoking Gun are definitely still worth mentioning. Thunder, according to their own words, wanted to prove that they are not yet ripe for the slipper and pipe. Their frustration at not being able to go on tour to showcase their newly created work is justified.