by Ed RivadaviaAfter helping David Coverdale reinvent (and repackage) Whitesnake for the image-conscious American market, guitar hero John Sykes quickly and acrimoniously left the group when it became apparent that there was only room enough for one overblown ego: Coverdale's. No fools, Whitesnake's label, Geffen Records, immediately signed Sykes to a new development deal and proceeded to surround him with veteran bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice (whose career probably started before Sykes was born) to form the supergroup Blue Murder. Expertly and pompously produced by Bob Rock, their self-titled debut featured bombastic, consumer-friendly '80s metal. These ranged from muscular, power-chord hell-fests like "Riot" and "Blue Murder," to epic Zeppelin-isms like "Valley of the Kings" and "Ptolemy," to blues-inflected MTV offerings like "Jelly Roll," to the all-important (even mandatory) power ballad, "Out of Love." Though the album now sounds quite dated thanks to those overblown, late-'80s sonic aesthetics, Blue Murder's songwriting is quite consistent throughout and the musicianship is absolutely stellar. Therefore, hardcore fans of these three legendary musicians will likely find much to love here.