Lionheart
Welcome to the West Coast II

Either Lionheart is a British hardrock band or an American hardcore band, a quintet who now has completed their first quintet of albums. This album seems to be a sequel to their 2014 EP Welcome to the West Coast. And as a hardcore album you want it to be like a hit from a golf bat straight in the face – and a big hit at that, plain and simple. And while they are more face hitting than the other Lioheart I reviewed earlier this year, I still think they should have brought a little heavier artillery.

The album is powerful and intensive hardcore, only broken up when we are played a few short answering machine monologs that I think feel a bit out of place. It is aggressive, the vocalist is shouting out the lyrics, although he could perhaps have more desperate tone to give a more powerful impact to the music. The energy is great, as is the production and the main focus is the hardcore power and raw energy, not much variation. The lack of variation is of course negated by the short playing time that is only 26 minutes split in ten tracks.

I like the songs and the fact that they make hardcore the way I like it – with aggression and power, so I think it is a good album. I could do without the answering machine thing; I don’t think it adds to the album. And of course as a critic I can’t really overlook the fact that they like most other hardcore bands don’t offer much in terms of original thinking and that sort of thing. Originality is not their thing, I think this is an album for the hardcore fans and they will most likely enjoy it quite a bit as it offers exactly what they want.

To me It may not offer originality or complexity, and it may not be that ultimate golf bat hit in the face but it is still an enjoyable musical ride with more than enough energy to be entertaining.

 

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