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JACK STARR’S BURNING STARR
Souls Of The Innocent

Global Rock (2022)
Rating: 9/10

I hold the one and only Jack Starr responsible for some of the dodgiest heavy metal album covers in the 80s; Rock The American Way (1985) anyone? However, the guitarist also has a place in my fiery metal heart, dazzling me in bands such as Virgin Steele, Phantom Lord, Devil Childe, Guardians Of The Flame and of course Jack Starr’s Burning Starr, which he runs in conjunction with his own solo material.

Souls Of The Innocent is the eighth full-length release from Burning Starr on which Jack is joined by vocalist Alex Panza (Hitten / ex-Cobra Spell), bassist Ned Meloni (ex-Phantom Lord / ex-Devil Childe / ex-Guardians Of The Flame) and drummer Rhino (HolyHell / ex-Manowar / ex-Death Dealer).

This is the first Burning Starr album to feature Panza who brings his own inimitable style to proceedings and fuelling the metal fires even further, and so with such a line-up one would expect this latest offering to be a cauldron of molten metal… and it is.

The title track soars in with a Black Sabbath, circa-Ronnie James Dio, vibe; the heavyweight riffage matched by the percussion and then woven with Panza’s high energy wails. There’s a strong Gothic hint to this track, again bringing a Heaven And Hell (the band) vibe, streaked with Starr’s fizzing lead. It’s an instantly catchy tune that paves way for further treasures within this opus.

‘I Am The Sinner’ chugs with a more hearty menace, and again I’m stroked by Panza’s Dio-like vocal expressions, but everything remains powerful even with the bridge to the epic chorus.

These were the two tracks which gave me excitement for the album, but the rest just doesn’t disappoint. After a short introduction, the band charge headlong into the fantastic ‘Demons Behind Me’ where Starr simply shreds like he did back in his younger days and the drums just pound with timely aplomb. This is classic heavy metal that will reach its cult audience, but it also puts into place the rather tired and predictable outings of far more successful bands such as Iron Maiden.

As Souls Of The Innocent unravels like a metallic tapestry emblazoned with streaks of fire, I hope that the metal kids of today will be able to find such an artist and use albums such as this as the soundtrack to their lives, just like I did back in the 80s. This album is brim full of varying tempos, all sneeringly white hot to the magic of Jack Starr. However, the guys around him are not merely backdrops but accomplished metalheads driving the messages home.

Elsewhere, ‘Winds Of War’ is a rollicking gallop, ‘All Out War’ exudes a driving menace built upon that thudding bass, and ‘Road To Hell’ rattles with deadly percussion. Of all the tracks on offer, including a bonus number entitled ‘When Evil Calls’, the only one I’m not a huge fan of is the more steamy, slow drive of ‘Ships In The Night’, but it’s far from being a bad egg amongst a batch of muscular, blazing feasts of musical brilliance.

For me, Souls Of The Innocent is the benchmark of modern metal from a master of his trade who effortlessly drifts through these boiling seas like a graceful vessel while his comrades bat away the fearsome waves with ease. This is heavy metal, so bang your head until your brains fall out.

Neil Arnold

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