A world of AOR without a Jim Peterik in it is a scary thought. The guy was – and still is – a brilliant song writer who owns the skills of how to write a catchy, poppy rocker with shitloads of hooks and memorable melodies with both keyboards and guitars given equal space without it becoming cheesy, sugary or mawkish. I know there are rock-fans out there that want to beg to differ on that but that’s my personal and honest opinion. Survivor was a brilliant band and albums like Vital Signs (1984), When Seconds Count (1987) and Too Hot To Sleep (1988) are all brilliant AOR-gems that at least I can’t live without. Thing is, to mention all of Peterik’s projects and bands would take up all the space here so I suggest google if you’re interested.
That being said, Pride Of Lions, his project with singer Toby Hitchcock, do have its syrupy moments, I admit that, and truth be told, some of their earlier albums are a bit uneven. However, the last POL record Fearless (2017) was a really solid effort and with Peterik’s latest World Stage album, Winds Of Change from last year, being a stellar release, I found it hard not to listen to the new album with some big expectations in tow.
The opening with latest single and title-track bodes real well for the rest of the album. In an upbeat mid-pace, this 80’s sounding gem is a dramatic piece that blends pure AOR with musical-theatre much because of Hitchcock’s big, dramatic voice. It’s poppy and slick with a clear nod towards Peterik’s Survivor days with hooks enough to sell and an immediately catchy chorus. A great opener indeed. Even more 80’s is “We Play For Free”, a tune that leads us right back into 1987. The big chorus is reminds me not so little of Heart’s “You Ain’t So Tough”, a song I never understood why it was never a single. With a whole lot Desmond Child-isms in the chorus, big on smooth keyboards and a good, driving rhythm where much of the song draws towards Vital Signs, this is an AOR pearl and needs to be a single. Awesome!
The uptempo and straight-forward “Heart Of The Warrior” stays in Survivor-land, melody-wise. It’s a quite glossy and poppy AOR-number with a blanket made of keyboards on top, a harmony-laden pre-chorus and a massively catchy chorus right from the corners of When Seconds Count where only Hitchcock’s theatrical voice differs from that Survivor album. C’mon already, what’s not to love about that? Latest single “Carry Me Back” keeps the mountain of keyboards, the slick and smooth arrangements and the pop-groove. It’s also slightly melancholic and the guitar solo is on the crunchy side, all inside a colorful soundscape. Another direct and effective chorus makes for lots of hit-potential. I dig this.
“Sleeping With A Memory” is mid-paced with a slower beat and borders to balladry. It’s based on a softer and more laid-back note and holds some very mid 80’s sounding keyboards, dramatic vocals and lots of pop-hooks. Like a fine mix of Survivor and Foreigner, the tune stays with me long after the album’s done. Good one. More Survivor vibes shows up in the uptempo, pop-groovy AOR stomper “Good Thing Gone”. Uplifting melodies, a slick outlook and a straight-forward and immediate rhythm takes the song to another immense, hook-laden chorus which makes this driven pop-rocker a clear winner. I’d go with this one as a future single if I were them. Damn good.
“Unfinished Heart” is the album’s big ballad. Slow, dramatic, glossy and a bit soft, it kind of reminds me of Stryper’s 80’s ballads albeit with a touch of musical-theatre vibes and Hitchcock’s cinematic vocal-style. It might be a bit sugary, it may hold a huge keyboard soundscape and it might have 1985 written all over it, but man that mastodon chorus sticks hard. It’s the kind of ballad I don’t want to like but have to surrender to. Equally as smooth and slick, the poppy “Flagship” differs slightly with a darker touch and a galloping rhythm where the actual beat goes into heavier territories. There’s a pomp-vibe present as well and while all this is fine and dandy, the song really isn’t a stand-out track at all. Not bad but a bit of a bagatelle.
Straight-ahead and upbeat, the faster tracked “Give It Away” gets on your case with a masterful blend of AOR and Rock where every melody-line is hooky, the poppiness is stirringly infectious and the chorus is so immediate and catchy there’s just no way to not surrender to it. It’s an uplifting and positive tune that puts a smile on my face right from go. Easily one of the album’s finest moments. “Rock & Roll Boomtown” starts out slow, sounding like a Survivor ballad but it goes more edgy when the raunchy sounding guitars is brought out and it takes a heavier, mid-paced route with a tougher rhythm but all the while very much AOR albeit on a Rock base. The chorus is big, memorable and direct but not particularly hitty. It’s still a really good song nonetheless.
On a more hard-rocking note, the heavier “You’re Not A Prisoner” brings out the guitars to the front, giving this upbeat number a crunchy and more gritty outlook, all in the name of Melodic Rock, of course. Here, POL leaves their AOR-box for a minute and takes aim at American Arena Rock, all carried by a traditional Hard Rock foundation. That said, it also comes with some hooky vocal-melodies and a solid, catchy refrain. It’s a stellar song but a more rowdy and less theatrical vocal-effort had been preferred. Closing track “Now” is slower in tempo yet upbeat – a ballad where laid-back melodies and a smooth production blends with some heavier and darker guitar-parts. A very catchy but not cheesy or too radio-friendly chorus brings my two thumbs up for this one.
As a whole, this album follows in the footsteps of its predecessor and feels pretty much like a sister-album to it. But that’s not a bad thing at all. Peterik knows his craft and he does what he does best and loves it all the way and even though Hitchcock’s theatrical voice can get a bit overmuch when 12 songs is digested in a row, Pride Of Lions, to me, equals quality. Peterik’s Survivor past shows up more often than not but it would be strange if it didn’t and at times it feels like we’re lured right into a musical of sorts but that being said, it really makes a good blend with the basic AOR. If there’s something I need to point out, it’s that POL could use a little more roughness, louder guitars and grit but otherwise, this duo has released another portion of splendid music. Well done.
8/10
More Pride Of Lions reviews:
Tracklist:
1. Lion Heart
2. We Play For Free
3. Heart Of The Warrior
4. Carry Me Back
5. Sleeping With A Memory
6. Good Thing Gone
7. Unfinished Heart
8. Flagship
9. Give It Away
10. Rock & Roll Boomtown
11. You’re Not A Prisoner
12. Now
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