Classic rock band Grand Slam will release their third album, Slam!, on March 19, 2027, via Silver Lining Music. The band, first formed in 1984 by guitarist Laurence Archer and Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, have shared the first single and video, “Slam Dunk.”
Pre-order Slam! here.
A Raised Middle Finger
“Slam Dunk” is driven by a fast, pace-setting guitar riff and a catchy chorus, with one of Archer’s many solos on the record. The video was directed, produced and edited by Paul M Green. Frontman Mike Dyer explains the idea behind the song:
“‘Slam Dunk’ is about losing yourself in a world that’s lost the plot, and finding enough fire to laugh in its face. There’s hurt in there, but there’s a raised middle finger too.”
Mike Dyer
Slam! features the band’s current lineup of Archer, Dyer, drummer Benjy Reid and bassist Rocky Newton. According to the label, the album has a warm, timeless groove and a feel-good quality, with “Lawless” bringing late-night denim-and-leather swagger and Dyer’s gritty vocals. It will be available on several vinyl variants, CD, exclusive bundles and digital formats.
Tracklist
- Night Train
- Keep Your Head Down
- Slam Dunk
- Give Me a Sign
- Louder Than Yesterday
- Venus Butterfly
- Lawless
- Tu Corazón del Tiempo
- Brotherhood
- Ride On
Grand Slam are: Mike Dyer (vocals), Laurence Archer (guitars), Benjy Reid (drums), Rocky Newton (bass).
Context
Grand Slam was Phil Lynott’s band after Thin Lizzy split, but it never released a studio album during his lifetime, and the project ended before his death in January 1986. Decades later, Archer revived the name, and the band finally released its debut album, Hit the Ground, in 2019, followed by Wheel of Fortune in 2024. That same year we covered their cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Whiskey in the Jar”, released to mark what would have been Lynott’s 75th birthday.
More news is on the way: the band will soon announce a German headline tour for April 2027. Details will be posted at grandslamrocks.com.
Our Take
Grand Slam are now well past being a footnote to the Lynott story, and Slam! is their third album in less than a decade. “Slam Dunk” is straightforward, good-humored hard rock with a big riff and a bigger chorus, exactly what fans of the band’s classic rock roots will want. With a German tour coming in April, 2027 looks like a busy year for them.
