Damon Johnson & The Get Ready - Battle Lessons

Rating

4.0/5

Flyctory.com Pros

Great classic (hard) rock
Strong instrumental skills

Flyctory.com Cons

Second half of the album feels weaker

Alice Cooper, Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders – Damon Johnson has indeed worked with some of the really big names of the rock music business. On 19th February 2021, he released his sixth solo album Battle Lessons, accompanied by a new band, The Get Ready.

Damon Johnson & The Get Ready – About The Artists

Damon Rogers Johnson was born on 13th July 1964 in Macon; Georgia, a city Southeast of Atlanta. He however spent his school time in Monroeville, Alabama, majorly and later moved on the Geraldine in the same state. His first major project was Brother Cane, which has been founded in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1990 and is still active (after some longer hiatus). The band had two number one songs in the US Mainstream Rock Charts. In 2004, he here and then joined Alice Cooper’s solo band as the lead guitar player. Since 2011, he is also part of Thin Lizzy. This also lead to playing in its spin-off, the Black Star Riders between 2012 and 2018.

On the solo side, Johnson debuted with the album Dust in 2000. Ten years later, he published his second album Release. In recent years, there are more frequent publications with three albums between 2016 and 2019. Johnson is now living in Nashville. His new band members are Jarred Pope (drums) and Robbie Harrington (bass).

Damon Johnson & The Get Ready – Battle Lessons – Track by Track

The nine track album lasts 33 minutes.

1. Battle Lessons

The album starts with the title track, which is finest classic rock sound. The song has also been selected as the first single of the album.

I’m screaming my god
What have I done?
How could I ever feel like you were the one?
No battle lessons lost on me

2. Can’t Clap Any Louder

Can’t Clap Any Louder feels a bit harder than the starting track. Due to its looping character, it is very catchy and will thus be a nice heat up track for future festivals.

3. Talk Yourself Into Anything

Talk Yourself Into Anything is the perfect fit of sound to the first two songs. Straight, as if written in the golden era of (hard) rock. Makes me recognize how old I am already – but Damon Johnson & The Get Ready at least make that feeling more enjoyable.

4. Shadow Country

With the slightly more distorted sound of Shadow Country and the rhythmic licks in the background, Shadow Country feels like a trip back to the early 1970’s already. The song becomes massive in the bridge, where heavy guitar sounds take over the Shadow Country.

5. Let the Healing Begin

The healing on the fifth track is – not that surprisingly – majorly done by headbanging and massive riffs. From the melodic / instrumental side, Let The Healing Begin is my favorite song on the album.

6. Brace For Impact

Brace for impact
We’re at the speed of light
Brace for impact
It’s about time that we get it right
You’re the first and my last
It’s simple to me
Through rain and the heat and the wind
Brace for impact right now
We begin again

The hammering riffs at the end of this chorus feels like to assist with some extra confirmation. That’s the way a (classic) rocker is looking at relationship. I ldo enjoy to listen to these tunes.

7. Lightning Bolt (Everything Will Be Alright)

The Lightning Bolt is definitely on the uptempo side. One of the most impressive parts is the powerful guitar solo, which is however transitioning in metal-like marching riffs. This track is absolute fun!

8. Love is All You Left Behind

After headbanging, partying and singing with the band (damn, I really seem to miss concerts deeply), this one of the deep heart of each rocker. Love Is All You Left Behind is a straight rock ballad, which feels so fragile after all the powerful riffs. A good one – but other guitar slammers even do it better!

9. Casual Beast

Not a ballad, not a hard rocker – Casual Beast is a moderate track, unfortunately in any way. I feel other songs on these Battle Lesson leave a stronger mark on the musical battleground.

Damon Johnson & The Get Ready – Battle Lessons – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

Damon Johnson & The Get Ready – Battle Lessons – My View

That’s cool rock! Unfortunately the Battle Lessons get a bit weaker towards the end and might also cover a bit more of a wider range , but overall, Damon Johnson and his new band do a lot of fun. Some songs will be great ones for the stage – but even if you just enjoy his new songs at, you will love vast talent of the three musicians.