THIN LIZZY Taps Producer KEVIN SHIRLEY For New Album

THIN LIZZY is preparing to enter the studio to begin recording its first new album in nearly 30 years for a tentative 2013 release. It will be the group's first studio set since "Thunder And Lightning" in 1983, and its first to not include frontman Phil Lynott, who died in 1986.

Guitarist Scott Gorham told HotPress.com the group will work with producer Kevin Shirley (IRON MAIDEN, DREAM THEATER, JOURNEY, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) on the new CD, and that recording will likely start next month. "I'll be going out to Los Angeles at the end of the month to work on some songs with [guitarist] Damon [Johnson] and then I think we will start recording in October in our producer Kevin Shirley's studio," Gorham said.

"We are all excited about the new record but especially [vocalist] Ricky [Warwick] and Damon, they just can’t wait to start recording!" said Gorham. "You have got six guys there that are chomping at the bit that can't wait to get this thing going."

THIN LIZZY's current lineup features Lynott-era LIZZY members Scott Gorham (guitar),Brian Downey (drums) and Darren Wharton (keyboards),as well as guitarist Damon Johnson, formerly of BROTHER CANE and Alice Cooper's band, former THE ALMIGHTY singer/guitarist Ricky Warwick, and bassist Marco Mendoza.

In a recent interview with Gibson.com, Johnson stated about THIN LIZZY's plans for a new studio album, "We all know it's going to be under the microscope. We know there will be pundits who criticize it. But pundits aren't necessarily fans. The fans have always wanted these amazing songs to continue to be performed live. And now we need new material to put extra life into this."

Regarding how the new material is sounding, Johnson said, "There's been a commitment from everyone to embrace the diversity of what THIN LIZZY is. Towards the original end, they made 'Thunder And Lightning'. That album was so heavy. A lot of the writing, it seemed Phil wanted to go down a heavy metal route for a while. That's not what the new album will be. There are some big fat riffs. Classic. I can assure you, we have the riffs."

On the topic of how Ricky Warwick is handling it all as THIN LIZZY's new frontman, Johnson said, "Ricky has been amazing. There is no easier target in this than Ricky — he knows that. But he has blown my mind with his writing. He's constantly writing, constantly reading, changing things to make lyrics better. I've done my own share of lyric writing, but I've never seen someone work so hard as Ricky. We can bring any piece of music to Ricky, and he comes up with a killer lyric. He deserves a huge amount of credit. He's not just 'a new frontman.' The guy is a class songwriter. And that's what Scott and Brian needed to make another THIN LIZZY record."

Quality fan-filmed video footage of THIN LIZZY's July 24 performance at Cricketbanen Ved Brøndby Stadion in Brøndby, Denmark can be seen below.