Renegade

Thin Lizzy’s 11th studio album is often considered its “redheaded stepchild” by fans and the band alike. The band’s new guitarist, Snowy White, still wasn’t fitting comfortably into the fold. So producer Chris Tsangarides over-emphasized Darren Wharton’s keyboard parts, resulting in a mix that’s more synth-heavy than any other Thin Lizzy album. But Renegade isn't without its charms, and decades later, much of this recording has aged amazingly well. The six-minute “Angel of Death” opens; it sounds like the score for an early-'80s science fiction movie before Scott Gorham's and White’s guitars let loose meaty riffs alongside a hard-galloping rhythm section. Over this, frontman Phil Lynott sings foreboding, “Sympathy for the Devil”–inspired lyrics as if he was the harbinger of death. “The Pressure Will Blow” kicks out twice as many jams in half the time. You can hear White trying to gel with Gorham on the band’s trademark harmonic guitar leads, but the chemistry (or lack thereof) is hardly comparable to past works. “Mexican Blood” is another hard-grooving standout.