Lynch Mob - Lynch Mob 1992

When Dokken self destructed at the end of the 1980s, George Lynch formed a band called Lynch Mob and released a fairly decent album called "Wicked Sensation", which was chock full of rough and tumble, raw, straight ahead, hard rock n' roll. He recruited Oni Logan to sing vocals on the album, and his swaggering vocal style fit the raunch n' roll tunes. Logan left, so George found a much more than just 'suitable' replacement in Robert Mason. Mason sings in a similiar style as Logan, but unlike Oni, Robert is just overflowing with talent and personality, and makes Lynch's guitar doodling much more bearable. Don't get me wrong, I like George Lynch, but his playing rarely grabs me, with the exception of a couple of mid 80s Dokken releases, and this album. The rest of the time his performance comes off as being wooden and repetitive, especially on the releases after this 1992 self-titled. Where the first album suffered in songwriting, Lynch tightened that up with a little help and managed to create a real masterpiece. Personally, I have listened to this 1992 Lynch Mob album hundreds of times, and I admit, its more to listen to Mason's absolutely outstanding performance than Lynch's guitar playing. Oddly enough, most people prefer the album with Oni Logan, and that is one thing I can't understand, because Robert Mason makes Logan look like a vocal hack and the ten songs on this album are heads and tails better than anything that was slapped on the previous release. Mason is in good company in the vocal talent area, because Glenn Hughes provides the addition background vocals for this album, although I can't individually pick his voice out of the layers supporting Robert's lead. The lyrics are the same kind of thing that dominated the other album as well, with songs about women, love, sex, drinking, strip bars, and breaking one law after another, the typical hard rock lyrical fare.

The album opens up with an explosion of hard rock goodness. "Jungle of Love" is a deliciously raunch tune with a suitable sing-a-long rhythm to flow with it. Mid 80s Motley Crue and late 80s Ratt is the closest matches I can think of to compare this material to. Next up is my pick from the disc, the slinky "Tangled In the Web", with its unique use of horns. The song just slides out of the speakers, slithering and wrapping itself 'round like a snake. Mason is in top form with a performance that is just bathed in sex appeal, blending passion and burning desire together to create a truly memorable tune. George Lynch's axeslinging on this tune fits so perfectly, peaking with a seamlessly slid into the center, equally intriguing solo. "No Good" tells the story of the wildness of a troublemaker that is simply 'no good', and goes back to the "Jungle of Love", fast paced sound. "Dream Until Tomorrow" is a gorgeous, tear jerking ballad about the pain endured from two people in love, who are tragically seperated only by time and distance. Robert Mason's vocals are extremely convincing, he drives this song home with overwhelming emotion. The final note in the guitar solo rings out in consumed heartbreak, and just rips a hole in the soul and stomps on it. "Cold is the Heart" sports a flashy, addictive chorus, and a thick but melodic overall feel. Just listen to those near-whispered lines in "I Want It" for a taste of Mason's greatness, if that doesn't send chills down the spine, then nothing will. "When Darkness Calls" haunting beauty quickly won it a place in my heart. There's nothing else quite like it on this album, with the soothing yet slinking, slower pace that rips up into this huge guitar filled chorus. The background music in this tune is so wonderfully strange, and almost ominious at times. "When Darkness Calls" wraps up with an extended instrumental section, with George Lynch's guitar virtuousity taking center stage.

This album is one that I definitely give my seal of approval, for its great rhythms, absolutely fantastic vocal performance, and some of the best songwriting and guitarplaying that George Lynch has ever achieved. This is the disc where the ex-Dokken member finally gets it all together, and one of the shining points of his career. All those deluded Logan lovers should throw this cd back in their stereos and give it another spin, because this is one hell of a great hard rock album, and deserves so much more praise and acclaim than what it has recieved so far.

Rating = 8.9
by Alanna Evans
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