The journey from Belfast to Los Angeles, entwined with a lifetime spent at the coalface of bona fide rock n roll, has made for a heady cocktail of creativity and popularity. Ricky Warwick, founder of The Almighty, Black Star Riders, The Fighting Hearts, acclaimed and respectful frontman of Thin Lizzy since 2011, remains unstoppable. This time he’s on a solo run with the release of his new album Blood Ties. Acknowledging that it was time to mine a deep seam for this record, the busiest man in the business has left nothing in the dressing room. Big cathartic guitar sounds and life-affirming, often joyous assessments of where he stands in this time and place make this album a standout piece of work in a career that has spanned over four decades. The Northern Irish man has spent his time well and the foundations for an album such as Blood Ties have been laid on solid ground. As a solo artist and an esteemed singer/songwriter in his own right, Ricky Warwick has also collaborated with some of the finest musicians on the planet, with Blood Ties featuring Billy Duffy (The Cult), Lita Ford and Charlie Starr (Blackberry Smoke). Having written with his friend and creative compadre Mr Keith Nelson (Buckcherry) on this album, Ricky stresses that the guitars are turned up “beyond driven” on Blood Ties. When Warwick is as happy as this with a new work, you can rest assured there’s another hit album barrelling down the track... And it’s coming at a pace.