An all-star cast of rock legends come together for the third release by Black Swan. ‘Paralyzed’ see’s Robin McAuley on Vocals (Survivor/MSG); Reb Beach on Guitars (Winger/Whitesnake), Jeff Pilson on bass (Foreigner/Dokken) and Matt Starr behind the drums (Mr Big).

​

With such a lineup on hand you know we should get a classic hard rock album of high quality. ‘Paralyzed’ is exactly that and then some. All four men are on top of their game, producing an album that many will enjoy.

Swan diving into the album then, we open with ‘When the cold wind blows’. It’s a solid track to kick things off, Beach provides plenty of licks and hooks while Pilson and Starr offer plenty of rhythm.

 

‘Death of Me’ cements the albums more than solid start with more straight ahead, hard rock energy. A great chorus, great guitar work and dynamic drumming make ‘Different Kind of Woman’ another strong song.

​

I’m far from ‘paralyzed’ listening to this album, with head banging, foot tapping and the occasional air guitar happening! ‘If I Was King’ is another good song, the band is in white hot form and McAuley’s vocals sound incredible. ‘Shakedown’ is a light hearted rocker that does its part to maintain the albums form. The album keeps delivering with ‘The fire and the Flame’ keeping the heat high.

​

McAuley sounds great on ‘I’m Ready’, he still has great power in his voice. The title track ‘Paralyzed’ is full of power and gusto, Starr is a powerhouse on the drumkit while Beach lays down some hefty guitar sounds. Starr’s drumming impresses again on ‘Carry On’ as he drives the song along. Beach tears it up again with his six string assault.

​

‘Battered and Bruised’ gives us a grittier main riff and more great rhythm work from Starr and Pilson. Pilson’s bass start’s off the closing track ‘What the Future Holds’ before Beach, Starr and McAuley enter to drop another great track.

​

These four rock legends have released a very good album that deserves your time. Across its eleven tracks the quality never dips, it just keeps offering classic hard rock greatness. Sometimes these thrown together “supergroup” projects can disappoint, Black Swan’s ‘Paralyzed’ definitely doesn’t…