“The band LIONCAGE was founded in 2013 by Thorsten Bertermann (vocals), Torsten Landsberger (drums) and Lars König (guitar & mix). All three musicians had known each other for many years performing in professional tribute bands, and impulsively started a band with original songs after having a couple of beers at a festival…” – so sayeth the press release.
Kicking off with ‘Mysterious Angel’ LIONCAGE serve up some nice warm and fuzzy West Coast feel AOR that proves that music can be the equivalent of ‘comfort food’. That’s not being disparaging in any way – ‘Second Strike’ is a fine album if bands like Toto, Foreigner, Journey, Huey Lewis, latter day Genesis, eighties Yes, Paul Carrack and Chicago, fuel your rocking fires…
‘Lights’ is similarly light AOR, while the classy ‘Sunrise’ adds keys to great effect and has an understated infusion of a little ‘Pomp’. If you like those you really can’t go wrong here as everything else is equally listenable and more than capably executed.
Our highlights include the laid back ‘Other Side of the Moon’, the (we’re talking relative here) harder chug of ‘When Dragons Fall’; the cool, almost Jazzy ‘Journeyman’ and the faster guitar-led closer ‘Save the Day’.
On this, their second outing LIONCAGE has come into its own. There’s a huge amount of confidence and no little finesse on offer here and some great songs. If west Coast AOR is where your heart lies then give these Germans a chance, you won’t regret it.
