PRIDE OF LIONS-Lion Heart

Frontiers Music srl

Pride Of Lions might not be a novelty anymore but the partnership between the flamboyant veteran rocker Jim Peterik and singer Toby Hitchcock (young enough to be Jim’s son) has never ever disappointed. ‘Lion Heart’ is the seventh studio release of the duo who have been accompanied by the usual staff of Mike Aquino (guitar), Ed Breckenfeld (drums), co-producer and co-songwriter Larry Millas, Klem Hayes (bass), Christian Matthew Cullen (synthesizer and programming) plus Jim’s son Colin Peterik (drums on the title track) and his mate Kevin Campbell (bass on the title track).

It has become a team throughout the years that carries out the vision that Jim Peterik has for this band. This time Jim wanted to write songs with more punch, a bit more in your face and more straight forward and that has resulted in twelve melodic rock songs that have all the ingredients we have grown accustomed to in the last twelve years or so. But indeed ‘Lion Heart’ has more power but never ever Jimbo has lost the main vision of what this outfit is about. Peterik and Hitchcock really have found the right combination when they tackle a song together, the voices of these guys are very complementary and fit well together. Whether the track is a bit more rock and up-tempo or whether it is more laid back or a ballad, the combination just works. Toby Hitchcock is by the way working on a new solo-album as well for Frontiers, to be expected in the first half year of 2021. But one way or another I never really got into Toby’s own albums. Not that they are not good but it seems that he only comes to full blossom when a Pride Of Lions album is being manufactured as Peterik knows exactly what kinds of songs to write that suit Toby best. As is again the case on ‘Lion Heart’, an album that you can listen to at any moment of the day as it is as accessible as can be even though it is more straight to the point than several other POL records. With songs like ,,Now’’, ,,Flagship’’, the heavy title song, ,,Heart Of The Warrior’’ and the merry track ,,Carry Me Back’’ Jim and Toby once again prove that they are a golden duo. As said not a novelty anymore but a great band nevertheless!