The band began when members of the then line-up of Thin Lizzy decided to record new material, but chose not to release it under the Thin Lizzy name. While Thin Lizzy continues on an occasional basis, Black Star Riders is a full-time band, described as "the next step in the evolution of the Thin Lizzy story". The band's first album, All Hell Breaks Loose, was released on May 21, 2013, and the follow-up album, The Killer Instinct was released on February 20, 2015. The band's third album, Heavy Fire, was released on February 3, 2017, and reached number six on the UK Albums Chart.
Black Star Riders is fronted by Ricky Warwick, and originally featured lead guitarist Scott Gorham and bass guitarist Marco Mendoza. Mendoza was replaced by Robbie Crane in 2014. Drummer and founding member Jimmy DeGrasso left the band in March 2017, and was replaced a few weeks later by Chad Szeliga. Another founding member, lead guitarist Damon Johnson, left the band at the end of 2018 to be replaced by Christian Martucci. Gorham and Szeliga left the band in September 2021, the latter being replaced by Zak St John. Gorham has not been replaced, leaving the band as a quartet.
On September 20, 2021, the band announced a new worldwide multi-record album deal with Earache Records and that they would be entering the studio in October 2021 to begin recording a new album.
Discography
2013 - All Hell Breaks Loose
2015 - The Killer Instinct
2017 - Heavy Fire
2019 - Another State of Grace
Killer Instinct
Black Star Riders Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the cold blooded academy of ghetto streets
It ain't treason if it's a good reason
We're only as real as the promises we keep
The strength of the wolf lies in the pack
And the loneliness can get you in trouble
Let's go feed the vultures down in this concrete jungle
That flies above this town
Where they build you up to touch the sky
Before they bring you down
You gotta live with a killer instinct
You gotta die a little to survive
You gotta love with a killer instinct
You gotta hurt a little to get by
The streets have burned since midnight
There's tension in the air
Another waste of time and life in another warlord's lair
Just one more shot in the mainline
Straighter than a preacher's dream
All the animals come out at night
It's a sundown primal scene
There's a flag of inconvenience
That flies above this town
Where they build you up to touch the sky
Before they bring you down
You gotta live with a killer instinct
You gotta die a little to survive
You gotta love with a killer instinct
You gotta hurt a little to get by
There's no saints in the wild kingdom
You gotta prowl like a beast of prey
You gotta live with a killer instinct
You gotta die a little everyday
You gotta live with a killer instinct
You gotta die a little to survive
You gotta love with a killer instinct
You gotta hurt a little to get by
You gotta live with a killer instinct
You gotta die a little to survive
You gotta love with a killer instinct
You gotta hurt a little to get by
"Killer Instinct" by Black Star Riders is a song about the survival tactics one needs to navigate through life in the urban jungle. The lyrics describe the harsh realities of living in a violent and dangerous environment, where the flag of inconvenience flies above the town, symbolizing the tiresome and unfair obstacles that one has to face in order to rise to the top. The song suggests that to survive in such an environment, one needs to have a killer instinct, to be willing to sacrifice and hurt others in order to get by. The metaphor of the animal kingdom is used to illustrate this point, and the lyrics insist that there are no saints in this world, and that one must prowl like a beast of prey in order to survive.
The song's opening lines "We all wear our hunger on our heart/In the cold blooded academy of ghetto streets" set the tone for the rest of the song, highlighting the desperation and hunger that drives people to do what they need to do to get ahead. The lyrics also suggest that in this world, loyalty and sticking to promises is key, as "we're only as real as the promises we keep". The chorus of the song, which repeats the phrase "You gotta live with a killer instinct/You gotta die a little to survive/You gotta love with a killer instinct/You gotta hurt a little to get by" drives home the message that one needs to be ruthless and unapologetic to succeed in the harsh world of the urban jungle.
Line by Line Meaning
We all wear our hunger on our heart
Our desires are evident on our sleeves
In the cold blooded academy of ghetto streets
In the streets, we are trained to act ruthlessly
It ain't treason if it's a good reason
Sometimes we need to break the rules for the greater good
We're only as real as the promises we keep
Our credibility is based on the commitments we fulfill
The strength of the wolf lies in the pack
Unity is the source of power and strength
And the loneliness can get you in trouble
Isolation can lead to downfall
Let's go feed the vultures down in this concrete jungle
Let's thrive in this harsh environment
There's a flag of inconvenience
There are challenges and obstacles that make life harder
That flies above this town
That are always present and looming over us
Where they build you up to touch the sky
Where we are encouraged to aim high and dream big
Before they bring you down
Before we face reality and are forced to confront our limitations
You gotta live with a killer instinct
You need to be tough and merciless to thrive
You gotta die a little to survive
You need to make sacrifices to succeed
You gotta love with a killer instinct
You need to be passionate and committed to your goals
You gotta hurt a little to get by
You need to endure pain and hardship to achieve success
The streets have burned since midnight
The streets have been violent and chaotic all night
There's tension in the air
There's a feeling of apprehension and unease
Another waste of time and life in another warlord's lair
Another senseless conflict in the stronghold of a dangerous leader
Just one more shot in the mainline
Just one more hit of drugs to keep going
Straighter than a preacher's dream
Pure and uncut, devoid of any additives
All the animals come out at night
The dangerous and ruthless emerge when darkness falls
It's a sundown primal scene
It's a savage and primitive environment at nightfall
There's no saints in the wild kingdom
There's no room for benevolence or mercy in the harsh reality of life
You gotta prowl like a beast of prey
You need to move cautiously and act aggressively to survive
You gotta die a little everyday
You need to make daily sacrifices and endure hardship to progress
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: DAMON JOHNSON, RICHARD DESMOND WARWICK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike Rudin
Sounds like a lost Thin Lizzy album that resurfaced. Love it!
Paulo Coneglian
First thing that came to my mind.
Sandro Silva
To mine to!!!!! lol lol
Sandro Silva
Na minha também! Kkkkkk
Frozen Hero
@Paulo Coneglian and mine!
Frozen Hero
Sounds like Lizzy from the Black Rose/Gary Moore era.
S Hanlon
Ricky Warwick is really awesome as a vocalist and front man. I couldn't be happier with his role in this band and in previous Thin Lizzy performances I've seen on Youtube. I hope these guys come to Boston.
RapturousGrief66
Scott is one of my all time favorite guitarists
Andrew Clark
This band continues to deliver great songs and lyric. This is what Lizzy would have sounded like today, Phil would be proud of this. Sometimes you have to move on a bit and these guys always respect the legacy, but t its time that they enjoyed the adulation of their achievements so far. But as they continue to prove, there is so much more.......count me in!
Intrepid Jolletero
Shame on me for discovering BSR with Wrong Side Of Paradise.., I can’t help it but to listen to them every day so many times! Awesome band. Scott Gorham is now working on forming TL and touring again