Artist: Pride Of Lions
Label: Frontiers Records
Released: 2007
Pride Of Lions is a band, or rather a duo, made up of the seasoned old tomcat Jim Peterik (ex-Survivor) and Toby Hitchcock. In a very short time they’ve squeezed out a nice catalog of albums. “The Roaring Of Dreams” is already their third studio album, and under the Pride Of Lions name they’ve also got a live CD/DVD and two EPs in the bag.
On “The Roaring Of Dreams” the two guys stay firmly strapped into the same race car as on its two predecessors. So the album is still AOR, but with a few new twists. First, the production cranks the guitars up a notch compared to the sound of the previous two studio albums, so the riffing itself is even sharper, and on top of that there’s a smidge more bombast on the record.
What’s the deal? Toby’s voice is, funnily enough, “too good” if you’re after a pure AOR record. I have to disappoint you right away here. A true AOR vocalist always has to radiate a bit of pathos, but Toby is way too proud for that, because he radiates real lion pride! His voice was made for singing operetta pieces. Yep, you guessed it. Queen! His voice gives the band’s whole expression an incredible touch of majestic grandeur, and the symphonic element is heavily emphasized. At times the atmosphere on the album recalls the operetta-like quality of Meat Loaf’s classic records, and Toby is born to sing in musicals and under the Broadway spotlights. The explosiveness and power of his voice are present in every single sequence, while the guy keeps a perfectly clean tone throughout, which preserves and even upgrades the melodicism of this release! His singing really does sound like the roar of a lion!
“The Roaring Of Dreams” is another excellent album that doesn’t stray from the signature style you find in Jim Peterik’s songwriting. The production is crystal clear once again. The balance is superb between the symphonic elements (keyboard arrangements, layered vocal harmonies) and the indispensable punchy rock side (a lively, natural “Gibson Les Paul” guitar sound you’d recognize even when woken at midnight, solos spicing up the songs).
It’s incredible that you can make three excellent albums in such a short time, ones that really lack absolutely nothing. This album too has its mid-tempo songs (Tall Ships, the superb closer Turnaround), which in all their pomp actually burn the brightest, and there’s no shortage of ballads either (Astonish You, Faithful Heart), which never come off as wimpy, mostly thanks to Toby’s one-of-a-kind flawless singing. And when Pride Of Lions hit the gas, the songs start competing among themselves over which one’s more convincing, yet none of them gains any particular edge (opener Heaven Of Earth, Let Me Let You Go, Book Of Life, Defying Gravity). The atmospheric peaks of the tracks are, of course, captured in the polished bombast of the choruses. And without the vocal duets between Jim and Toby in some of the choruses, none of this would be possible (Book Of Life is the most effective example).
This album is interesting. It has none of the “sugar” you can always be wary of when a hard rock record made under the baton of Americans lands in front of you, and the blues elements are neutered, which brings the album even closer to European ears. Even so, Hitchcock manages, with his impressive know-how and undeniable talent, to masterfully weave the juicy acrobatics of his soul skills into the melodic predictability of the basic vocal lines.
“The Roaring Of Dreams” is a logical and expected continuation of the journey! It’s another confirmation of Pride Of Lions’ distinctive way of understanding the legacy of AOR and melodic hard rock, which they offer to the music community. Clearly, the chemistry is there. On one side you’ve got the broad knowledge and experience of band patriarch and mastermind Jim Peterik, who with his calm charm and maturity finds the effective move at every moment (it’s been a long road from the evergreen hit Eye Of A Tiger to Pride Of Lions), and on the other the youth, talent and fierce drive to prove himself of Toby Hitchcock. Together they’re simply the ideal recipe for the polished workings of the Pride Of Lions duo.
“The Roaring Of Dreams” is a new dream for all fans of this band, as well as for lovers of melodic hard rock perfection. Given the flawless polish of the songs and the album as a whole, “The Roaring Of Dreams” is an early contender for album of the year in the AOR and melodic hard rock genres for 2007.
Lineup
Toby Hitchcock – vocals
Jim Peterik – guitar, keyboards
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Mike Aquino – guitar
Christian Cullen – keyboards
Klem Hayes – bass
Ed Breckenfeld – drums
Tom Grifin – backing vocals
Production
Jim Peterik & Larry Millas
Track list
1. Heaven Of Earth
2. Book Of Life
3. Love’s Eternal Flame
4. Language Of The Heart
5. Let Me You Go
6. Faithful Heart
7. Defying Gravity
8. Roaring Of Dreams
9. Secret Of The Way
10. Astonish You
11. Tall Ships
12. Turnaround
Running time: 59.58
