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UFO: Seven Deadly
 Legendary British hard rockers UFO are back with their 21st, yes 21st, studio release, titled Seven Deadly, and now fourth effort with Vinnie Moore on guitar. If you thought that their previous CD The Visitor was a tad too bluesy, fear not, for the most part the heavy rock has returned on Seven Deadly, and longtime fans will no doubt welcome that with open arms.
The opening threesome of "Fight Night", "Wonderland", and "Mojo Town" are muscular rockers featuring the trademark vocal pipes of Phil Mogg (who sounds great as always) and Moore's thick riffs and nimble solos. There's a sense of heaviness to these songs that we haven't seen in a few albums, and as I mentioned earlier, it's a welcome return. "Angel Station" has a certain Led Zeppelin feel to it, though it is more of a ballad, and includes a blistering guitar solo from Vinnie. "Year of the Gun" is a gritty blues rocker with a catchy chorus and some nice organ from Paul Raymond, while "The Last Stone Rider" is another hard rocker with a blues feel, featuring some crunchy riffs sitting underneath another catchy chorus. "Steal Yourself" reminds of Paul Chapman era UFO from the early 80's mixed with some Bad Company, and is a great hard rock tune, and "The Fear" is a grinding heavy blues rocker with some nasty riffs from Moore, though I could have done without the harmonica. "Waving Goodbye" is a classic UFO ballad, complete with soaring melodies, sweeping organ, and a mix of acoustic & electric guitar riffs. Moore's solo on this one is tasty as all hell, and it's clear he's really settled into his role here.
Easily an upgrade over The Visitor, UFO have returned to their hard rock roots on Seven Deadly, yet still retaining that bluesy edge they seem to have incorporated over the last few years. Vinnie Moore is sizzling throughout, Phil Mogg sounds better than ever, Andy Parker is still pounding his kit, and Paul Raymond adds his keyboard colors and occasional rhythm guitar. What more could any UFO fan want?
Track Listing
1. Fight Night 4:35
2. Wonderland 5:08
3. Mojo Town 3:58
4. Angel Station 6:25
5. Year Of The Gun 4:07
6. The Last Stone Rider 3:54
7. Steal Yourself 4:46
8. Burn Your House Down 5:15
9. The Fear 3:31
10. Waving Good bye 5:24
11. Other Men's Wives 4:09 (bonus track)
12. Bag O` Blues 5:21 (bonus track)
Added: January 24th 2012
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score: 
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 5179
Language: english
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UFO: Seven Deadly
Posted by Steven Reid, SoT Staff Writer on 2012-01-23 18:12:53
My Score:
Since Vinnie Moore took control of the over populated position of guitarist in UFO, the band have undoubtedly refound their mojo, producing some of the most consistent albums since their 70's and early 80's heyday. However The Visitor album from 2009, didn't quite match Moore's two previous efforts with Mogg and Co (Monkey Puzzle and You Are Here), with a Bluesier and slightly too easy going nature resulting in a good, but hardly memorable effort. That said it still proved that even well into their fifth decade as a going concern UFO still have what it takes to remain relevant in the "modern music world, something hammered home with the excellent new effort Seven Deadly, which thankfully ups the Rock quotient quite considerably. Unusually for UFO, the band's line up has been reasonably settled for quite some time now (well by their standards), with mainstay Phil Mogg on vocals being joined by returned, long time colleagues Andy Parker (drums) and Paul Raymond (guitar/keys), as well as Moore on six-string histrionics - since the unceremonious departure of Pete Way, the band have officially continued without a permanent bassist and the review download I have doesn't credit one, so I'd guess that either Peter Pichl, who has played on the last couple of UFO efforts, or Moore himself take that responsibility.
Seven Deadly really is a surprisingly vibrant affair and with Mogg sounding as commanding as ever the all together heavier riffing songs like "The Last Stone Rider", and "Mojo Town" really do capture the vibe that made this band so irresistible in the first place. Moore is a monstrous guitarist who ably assisted by Raymond, puts in another sterling performance that really understand that UFO have always been a Heavy Blues Rock act with Metal tendencies and not the other way round. That said, Moore is certainly no shrinking violet, utilises many of the flicks and tricks that have made him a shredder's delight for many decades now, with his solo on "Wonderland" showing it is possible to play a frenzied flurry of notes, squeals and howls with poise and precision. Seven Deadly isn't a one trick pony though, with "First Night" having the swagger of early AC/DC, while the weathered "Angel Station" has a strong reek of Bruce Springsteen about it.
For some, UFO will always be about Michael Schenker and the Strangers In The Night live album, but anyone not willing to give this line up of the band a fair crack of the whip really is only punishing themselves. There are few bands out there able to blend Rock and Blues with such ease and effectiveness as UFO still are to this day. Long may it continue.
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