Blackthorn

Bob Kulick, whose earlier guitar contributions had come with Balance, Alice Cooper and Meat Loaf, put the band together by enlisting bassist Chuck Wright, drummer Frankie Banali and keyboardist Jimmy Waldo—all three formerly of Quiet Riot—together with vocalist Graham Bonnet. Wright’s prior credits also included House Of Lords, Banali had worked with W.A.S.P., Waldo had played in Alcatrazz, and Bonnet’s background encompassed Rainbow, MSG and Alcatrazz. The depth of collective history quickly earned them a supergroup reputation, yet the members deliberately downplayed those résumés so listeners would evaluate the music on its present terms instead of treating the outfit as a temporary diversion. Kulick handled production on Afterlife, steering the group away from passing fashions toward an enduring hard-rock sound whose impact was reinforced by his commanding guitar lines; the songs stayed heavy while remaining approachable and featured a new version of Rainbow’s hit ‘All Night Long’, which Bonnet believed had originally fallen short of the necessary weight.