By DJ Monk
Not to be confused with the British AORsters of the same name, Lionheart arguably have been the kings of the Bay Area hardcore scene since they first assaulted it with their storming debut album, ‘The Will To Survive’, back in 2007. Releasing albums on an almost bi-annual basis, relentless touring has built them a reputation as one of the tightest bands on the hardcore punk scene – a reputation that is well and truly cemented with this, their seventh album.
There are no airs or graces about ‘Valley Of Death’, not that you should expect any. This is anger incarnate. This is punk rock venom spat straight in your face with no apologies for doing so. It’s faster and more furious than Dominic Toretto in a jacked-up Mitsubishi Eclipse. It beats you down, picks you up, dusts you down and asks if you’re ready for more… to which the answer is “of course I am… bring it on mofo”.
And that’s exactly what Lionheart do – they bring it on, by the fucking bucket load. Rob Watson fires out his lyrics with a mixture of spite and remorse, unapologetic for any insult and unrepentant for any injury caused by the sheer power of his delivery. The guitars of Nick Warner and Walle Etzel snap and snarl like a cornered cougar, while the tight as fuck rhythms of Rich Matthews and Jay Scott hold down the bottom end of the sound with the power of a 500lb jackhammer, providing that all important concrete solidity that bands of this ilk need in order to accentuate the sheer impact of the delivery. And, in this case, the impact is akin to that of the planet killing asteroid ultimately destroyed by Bruce Willis in that lamentable blockbuster.
You will indeed fear no evil when you walk through this particular ‘Valley Of Death’, as Lionheart have more than enough evil intent of their own to chase even the most powerful forces of darkness back into the shadows from whence they came, licking their bloodied wounds and mending their broken bones, all the while wondering when mankind came up with such a powerful source of anger and revenge.
- ‘Valley Of Death’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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