Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

The clamour and the disturbance of the air as the combination of legends meets should come with a warning for the unaware and ignorant that serious listening may damage your ill-concieved perceptions.

For in the uproar across a small divide of talent and history which fuses together in a way that was polished and unexpected as Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith and the prodigy and multi- talented American artist Richie Kotzen, and once again cause mayhem and beauty in equal measure for the senses as the genius of their second collaboration, Black Light/White Noise, seizes the initiative and coaxes the soul of the listener from its shell with the force of giant thunderstorm gathering ominously overhead.

It is in that thunderstorm that the shapes and images of the two musicians appear, from out of the ultraviolet shade the illumination of sound doesn’t just quiver and cause pressure in the air, it envelops and stirs communication in a way that provides the listener with reason, if it were needed, that unlike most genres, the world of heavy metal and outrageously cool rock can live, can meld, no matter the leaning and ferocity of the musicians on offer.

In Richie Kotzen and Adrian Smith’s latest album that ferocity and spirit continues onwards, and as tracks such as Darkside, Blindsided, Heavy Weather, the excellent Outlaw, and the cracking finale of Beyond The Pale, what comes across is a joy of expression and power, immense, treasured, near immortal power; and with contributions from Julia Lage, Bruno Valverde, and Kyle Hughes adding spice to the heat on offer, it is a delicious mix of themes and persuasions that make Black Light/White Noise a double act that frames the listener’s mind and focuses the attention with absolute cool.

A second outing for the Maiden man and the American guitar prodigy, and in Black Light/White Noise the brilliance of both in unison shines brightly.

Ian D. Hall