You'd need a book to cover the drama of Paul Di'Anno's post-Iron Maiden career. Handily, the frontman wrote one in 2010 titled The Beast, but even that doesn't fully capture the twists and turns that have carried him through countless projects over the past 40 years.
Warhorse comes almost a decade since Di'Anno's last studio record - as Architects Of Chaoz - and almost as long away from the stage, health issues even getting the singer to consider retirement altogether in 2020.
Teamed up with a group of Croatian musicians, Madiraca and Pupi, Di'Anno is at his best when riding on galloping riffs and roaring with fist-pumping defiance. Warhorse, The Doubt Within and Forever Bound all capture the beat-the-odds mentality of old school heavy metal.
Unfortunately, perfunctory tracks like Go, Stop The War and Tequila reduce the triumphant tone, Di'Anno flogging dead donkeys on an album that could otherwise have put him back in the saddle.
