Lions Lions Releases New Single

Hailing from the heavily musical scene located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, Indie/Hardcore band Lions Lions has released a new single entitled "The Atlas" under their upcoming album in the making, From What We Believe. Lions Lions has been recognized as a more alternative hardcore band in the past couple of years, hitting their peak with fans through the release of the popular track, Waves. The members have worked on other projects and have belonged to other bands like Vanna and Therefore I am. Brandon Davis, (Vanna and TIA), Van Truong and Phil Bjorkman have come together in order to produce a new sound that is significantly less hardcore than Vanna but more high spirited than Therefore I am. The band has pulled influence from various different genres including indie, softer rock, metal and hardcore giving them an advantage to gaining listeners and maintaining a steady, pleasing sound.

However, despite the band's talents, I do not believe that they delivered in this new single. Since the parting of vocalist, the band has almost become sort of lighter, with more pop punk influence than indie. I'm not sure if I enjoy the lighter sounding vocals and the adequate guitar work. I am pleased with the drum track as it delivers the harsh sound that Lions Lions is well known for, but I feel as though the band is straying from their roots. Before this single, Lions Lions was known for the creative raw edge, adding only a small amount of lighter riffs and fills in order to compliment the underlying "darkness". Now, it seems as though the band is slowly turning towards a more pop punk sound, which may not be the best route for them.

I can enjoy and appreciate the chorus and the chants, and I feel that the song has potential to grow on me, but after giving it a couple of listens, I am not convinced as of yet. I feel as if it is lacking the extra power and energy and the guitar work was not at its strongest. Lions Lions is a very progressive band, not necessarily in terms of musical genres, but in terms of moving up in popularity throughout the past two years. Their music has flourished in the city of Boston and they have made their way to underground and main stage venues, appealing to an audience of many different types. I feel as though this band could have put a little bit more effort into the lyircs of this song as they are in my opinion weak and monotonous. The tone of Joshua's voice does not range much and seeing as he is the new vocalist, I'm not sure how much their sound will alter in the next few years.

I hope that Lions Lions can make it far, but this single has not given me the impression that they are going to maintain that raw indie/hardcore edge. I would like to hear more intricacy and guitar work in their tracks. Hopefully Brandon is able to work his magic in this upcoming album. I give this song rating a 3/5. For anyone interested in attending a Lions Lions concert, the next local show they will be playing is May 13 at the Franco American Club in Waterbury, Connecticut. For tunes, show information, and more log onto www.myspace.com/lionslions