In May 1973, Budgie guitarist Tony Bourge unleashed the riff to "Breadfan", widely hailed as a precursor of thrash metal, on an unsuspecting world. Forty years on, the now-ex-Budgie riffmaster has a new 20-track album named "Crank It Up" released under the moniker of Anthony Bourge. The album Cd a wide variety of styles, from riff-based rockers reminiscent of the metal Bourge forged with budgie, to songs and instrumentals steeped in the blues, to ethereal pop numbers.

According to a press release, "The album's 'Shw Mae Mama' is a dark, heavy blues song — with a Welsh language chorus that translates as 'How are you Mama?' "Mother Earth has a hole in her head but she's not dead, and neither is Budgie," Bourge says, referring to both the song's subject and the influential Welsh rock band's legacy.

"East Bound" is an instrumental inspired by a painting one of Bourge's sons did before he left for China. "There was a large dragon's tail and two birds flying over the sea, heading east towards a very large setting sun. Strangely enough, the red sun and the dragon's tail seemed very Welsh," Bourge says.

"Crank It Up" is available from online music stores.