The music world is a strange place these days with bands that aren’t bands, bands that never tour, bands that create albums living in different cities and hundreds of solo and side projects that will never take to a stage. Add to that bands like Pride of Lions the vehicle of guitarist, composer, and producer Jim Peterik and vocalist Toby Hitchcock, that creates beautiful music, but who most of us will never see live.
It’s been five years since their last outing and again I’m feeling pressured to say its been worth the wait but in truth its such a long time these days to wit for a new release you can’t argue with the quality of the material here its hard to wait so long between drinks.
This is pure AOR/Melodic Rock with a real 80’s flavour in the tradition of bands like Survivor, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Toto and the rest of the usual suspects; it’s also beautifully played and extremely well produced. That of course just leaves the songs and if you like the light Melodic Rock you’re in for a real treat. ALL I SEE IS YOU is light, catchy and smooth as silk and whilst you could argue that tracks like THE TELL and IN CARACATURE are just underlining already proven credentials from thereon in it’s pretty flawless stuff.
SILENT MUSIC is more silky AOR, but its the next song FEARLESS that stops you in your tracks – its faster, harder and just soars out of the speakers, its the best here and the song you’ll keep coming back to. EVERLASTING LOVE adds a Survivor-like ballad to the mix and FREEDOM OF THE NIGHT ups the pace again before another rocker in RISING UP catches the imagination.
The album closes as surefootedly as it began with THE SILENCE SAYS IT ALL – another mid-tempo winner, more crisp AOR in FASTER THAN A PRAYER and a wonderful emotive and reflective closer in UNMASKING THE MYSTERY. It’s a nice laid back way to close things.
Will Pride of Lions tour and let us see how this wonderful album translates live? Whatever the answer this is an album for discerning fans of AOR. Maybe a little light for some, but a sure-fire winner for those who love it silky smooth.
