Last in Line’s Jericho Album Review: A Hard Rock Triumph 40 Years in the Making

April 4, 2023 rocknews

The Book of Joshua recounts the story of God commanding the Israelites to circle the city of Jericho for seven days straight. On the seventh day, they circled the city seven times, and at the sound of the army’s cry, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites stormed the great city, plundering their treasure, burning every building, and taking no prisoners. This tale of triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds has inspired many artists throughout history. Last in Line, the quartet of former Dio guitarist Vivian Campbell, drummer Vinny Appice, ex-Ozzy Osbourne bassist Phil Soussan, and ex-Lynch Mob singer Andrew Freeman, took inspiration from this story for their third album, Jericho.

The Making of Jericho

Last in Line cut six of the album’s 12 tracks just before the coronavirus pandemic put the music industry on ice. The band had to wait nearly two years until they could reconvene in early 2022 to finish what they started. Despite the challenges, they made up for the lost time and delivered a torrent of machine-gun riffs, wrecking-ball rhythms, and razor-wire solos. They tore into the songs with a sense of urgency and an underdog spirit, sounding like they’re having fun.

The Songs of Jericho

Jericho is Last in Line’s most distinctive batch of songs to date. They simultaneously honor the legacies of Ronnie James Dio and late bassist (and fellow Dio alum) Jimmy Bain while honing their identity. The limber grooves of “Not Today Satan” keep listeners on their toes, and chest-beating anthems like “Dark Days” and “Do the Work” are tailor-made for festival-stage singalongs. The thrashing “Hurricane Orlagh” unleashes a howling tempest of notes from Vivian Campbell, while his staccato leads on “Bastard Son” hark back to his best work with Dio.

The Thrill of Jericho

The unadulterated thrill of Jericho is simply hearing Campbell and Appice rock with 40 years of chemistry under their fingers. Freeman hits his marks effortlessly with his raspy, bluesy roar. Singers are inevitably the first ones to falter in legacy bands, but Freeman keeps pace with his bandmates, unimpeded so far by the laws of aging. The virtuosity across Jericho makes up for the occasional midtempo drag or lyrics that amount to little more than their cliche song titles (“Let the bridges that I burn light the way, break the day, for whom it may concern”).