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One may say, or the usual comment - “oh, I remember House Of Lords from the ‘80s, they were those guys from Guiffria”. Well, got news for you, since 2006 and the album World Upside Down, original keyboard player, Greg (Giuffria), has been out of the band. Keyboards on albums since handled by singer James Christian, or guest players, and reproduced as backing tracks for the live shows. Christian joined by Jimi Bell on guitar, drummer B.J. Zampa, with Chris Tristram on bass since 2016, this also the current lineup on the latest album Saint Of The Lost Souls from 2017.

On October 12th, HOL played the Debonair Music Hall in NJ . Since it’s not often they hit this part of the north east, the set was a nice mix of new and old songs. Yes, the Lords have been making new music since 2006 and released seven albums. Tonight’s selection included “I Wanna Be Loved“, “Pleasure Palace”, “Slip Of The Tongue”, “Can't Find My Way Home”,  title track to Sahara, and “Love Don't Lie”. If you have been sleeping on their new music, having the majorities’ opinion that “these ‘80s hard rock hair metal bands don’t make new music as good as their past”…well then you are just not doing your homework. Or choose to live in the past.
New Lords is as good, if not at times better, than the songs from the first three albums. “I'm Free”, “Rock Bottom”, “Cartesian Dreams”, “Come To My Kingdom” and “Saint Of Lost Souls” title tracks, “Go To Hell”, and “Battle”, all incorporate the keyboards but are more guitar driven. Bell’s guitar, and his songwriting (with Christian) are more of the framework. James’ voice still sounds the same and he has lost none of his tone or projection (unlike many of his peers), and plays a great acoustic guitar during “Can't Find My Way Home”. Hope to see them come back again soon.