Thunder and Lightning

With guitarist John Sykes replacing Snowy White (who'd replaced Gary Moore), Thin Lizzy’s 12th and final studio album—1983’s Thunder and Lightning—crackled and rocked with an energy not heard since 1979’s Black Rose. There’s a palpable chemistry between Sykes and lead guitarist Scott Gorham, starting with the opening title track. Phil Lynott’s rapid-fire phrasing comes out throwing punches over hard-muscled riffs that detonate into a wailing call-and-response of guitar leads between Sykes and Gorham. When things simmer down slightly in the tailing “This Is the One,” you can hear the band rock with the near self-referential gusto of its 1977 album Bad Reputation. And the fact that the group still manages to sound like Thin Lizzy under an overcooked pop-metal production only stands as a testament to its musicianship and songwriting. The heady ballad "The Sun Goes Down" was a minor hit and hinted at the solo direction Lynott would pursue before his untimely passing. Sykes experiments with some Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhodes–inspired fretboard-tapping in the heavy metal standout “Cold Sweat.”