Remember the Swedish band Lion's Share? Hell, it's been six long years since this outfit was last heard from, so I'm sure that more than a few of you loyal readers simply forgot about these guys (I'm guilty too I'm afraid!) and assumed that they were broen up or on extended hiatus. Well, fear not, these progressive/power metal veterans are back with their fifth release, titled Emotional Coma, out now on Locomotive Records. Once you pop on the CD and start cranking out song number one, "Cult of Denial", you'll instantly find yourself saying "Wait a second, that's a different singer...I know that voice from somewhere!", before you realize it's none other than Patrik Johansson, lead vocalist for both Wuthering Heights and Astral Doors. Patrik's commanding Ronnie James Dio by the way of David Coverdale pipes are the perfect foil here for the crunchy guitar riffs of founder Lars Chriss, giving these songs a menacing tone that helps veer things away from some of the band's earlier, more proggier style, towards a lean & mean 80's form of classic hard rock & metal, not unlike what you would expect from the band Firewind. Throw in bassist Sampo Axelsson (Glenn Hughes Band) and drummer Richard Evensand (Chimaira, Soilwork, Therion) and you have a pretty potent line-up here on Emotional Coma.
The songs range from memorable and melodic hard rock fare ("Edge of the Razor" and "Toxication Rave") to more crunchy old school metal numbers littered with powerful vocals and shredding guitar work ("Cult of Denial", "Arsonist", "Bloodstained Soil", and the kicking title track), both styles sure to please fans old and new. Johansson's vocals have the venom to propel Chriss' beefy riffs and catchy tunes to new heights, so much so that you don't really miss some of the more progressive elements of the band's earlier material. "Soultaker" sees Chriss scorching the mix with white hot leads and massive riffage, with the singer reaching for the heavens with his stunning vocal attack, while "Sorcerers" is just an powerful slice of epic metal, complete with doomy riffs and layers of vocals that just take things to another level.
While you can basically say that Emotional Coma features a practically new Lion's Share, there's no doubt that new Lion's Share is QUALITY Lion's Share. This is an all-around solid and enjoyable collection of hard rockin' & melodic metal songs, sure to throw this band back into the spotlight once again. Welcome back guys!
Track Listing
1. Cult Of Denial
2. Arsonist
3. Emotional Coma
4. Clones Of Fate
5. Edge Of The Razor
6. Toxication Rave
7. Trafficking
8. Bloodstained Soil
9. Soultaker
10. Hatred´S My Fuel
11. Sorcerers
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