THE FOUR HORSEMEN – Nobody Said It Was Easy [Dissonance / Cherry Red reissue] (2026) HQ *Exclusive*

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1991’s ”Nobody Said it Was Easy” was one of the greatest rock albums to ever come from the grunge decade that you’ve never heard of. THE FOUR HORSEMEN were a multinational band, with Rick Rubin at the helm at the legendary Sound City studios producing, and released via his own label, Def American.
The album landed just as grunge was breaking and immediately faced an uphill battle for acceptance, despite widespread critical acclaim. THE FOUR HORSEMEN shoulda been huge. Now Dissonance Records / Cherry Red are about to reissue ”Nobody Said it Was Easy”, ready for its 35 anniversary. And we’re featuring it at 0dayrox.
Founded in the late ’80s by former Zodiac Mindwarp / The Cult bassist Haggis (Stephen Harris), the band members came together with help from Rubin, playing a style that took the basics from the AC/DC school of driving hard rock with a raucous vocal delivery from frontman Frank Starr. The band gained a reputation for being genuinely dangerous, further enhanced when Starr was arrested on drugs charges and imprisoned.

After the release of the album drummer Ken Montgomery died from a drug overdose before vocalist Starr was killed on Sunset Strip by a drunk driver. The twin tragedies, plus the advent of grunge, derailed the band, despite acclaim from the media and fellow musicians.
Classic Rock magazine on ‘Nobody Said It Was Easy’: “The songs were amped-up classic rockers, with all the hard rock crunch of The Cult mixed with Southern riff rock, and pushed right over the top by Starr’s hyperactive screech. Critics loved ‘em because they thought all the macho swagger was ironic, and the kids loved them because they knew it wasn’t.”

Haggis play here rhythm guitar (ex-The Cult, formerly known as Kid Chaos) instead of bass. He lent the album an AC/DC edge with simple rock and roll riffs. Then there was Dave Lizmi, an uber-talented guitarist with a knack for classic tube-amp driven solos. On bass was Ben Pape who provided the album with interesting and melodic basslines.
Finally, on drums, the man the myth the legend: Kenneth “Dimwit” Montgomery. A Canadian native as big as the mountains that spawned him, Dimwit was an absolute beast on the skins. His brother Charles Montgomery would change his name to Chuck Biscuits and joined Danzig.

Opener and title track “Nobody Said it Was Easy” was a hell of an introduction. With a riff similar to those peddled by the Black Crowes a year before, but with a much harder edge, the track kicked every ass in the room. Get into the groove and enjoy, because the party is just starting.
Frankie had a rock n’ roll voice, but when he let loose with his screaming, that’s when we knew he was special. Able to sing with a Brian Johnson shred, the Horsemen really had an ace in their pocket with him. Frankie was something else. He took no prisoners and without him, the Horsemen just didn’t sound like the Horsemen.

There aren’t breaks between the songs, so “Nobody Said it Was Easy” goes right into “Rockin’ is Ma Business”, the heavier second single. Louder, groovier and weightier, “Rockin’ is Ma Business” proves its point. “And if it’s so good why am I still fuckin’ broke?” asks Frankie before Lizmi rips into another solo.
The third (and some say the best) single was the slide-drenched “Tired Wings”. With a southern Skynyrd vibe, “Tired Wings” is simply awesome. There’s enough slide guitar here to drown a cat. Haggis makes sure there is plenty to go around.

There could have been more singles, but the band hit the rocks when Frank was arrested and jailed for a year on drug charges. They were dropped by the record label, who stopped promoting the record. That effectively put the band on ice for several years, but that’s another tale…
Worth to mention is the strength of closing track, essentially two songs over eight minutes long, “I Need a Thrill / Somethin’ Good”. The song reeks of cigarettes, booze and tired hotel rooms. With organ and loads of Lizmi licks, it’s an epic track soaked in feeling.

If you are one of the many rock fans who missed The Four Horsemen during their brief heyday, then this CD reissue makes the album easy to acquire. The important thing is to get it! (thx to F.D. for the advance copy)
Highly Recommended

You saw it here first at 0dayrox

01 – Nobody_Said_It_Was_Easy
02 – Rockin’_Is_Ma_Business
03 – Tired_Wings
04 – Can’t_Stop_Rockin
05 – Wanted_Man
06 – Let_It_Rock
07 – Hot_Head
08 – Moonshine
09 – Homesick_Blues
10 – 75_Again
11 – Lookin’_For_Trouble
12 – I_Need_A_Thrill__Somethin’_Good

Vocals – Frank C. Starr
Rhythm Guitar, Slide, Vocals – Haggis
Guitars, Vocals – Dave Lizmi
Bass, Vocals – Ben Pape
Drums, Vocals – Ken “Dimwit” Montgomery
with:
Engineer, Hammond B-3 – Brendan O’Brien
Shaker, Tambourine, Backing Vocals – Ian Astbury (The Cult)

Pre order:
recordshopx.com/artist/four_horsemen/nobody_said_it_was_easy/#1185553