The Firstborn
Lions Among Men

This band and this album has received many good reviews, it would seem like an impressive album even though most of these reviews were internet ones and we all know how overly positive those are. But Lions Among Men I wonder how the stupid degenerate hunters that live around where I live would look at those considering how much they hate predators but changing wolves and bears to lions and tigers would be good, cats are maybe better. There’s some Buddhist stuff in there and a cover that would seem to indicate that as far as I have been able to determine. Maybe I should also add that these critically acclaimed guys are from Portugal a nation that has given us some exciting music and some not so exciting music so what about these guys then? The media seems to like ‘em but what about this media? what do we think?

Well, musically they talk about avantgarde, they talk about sludge and stuff in the reviews and the thing about that is that I am not really certain that people understand that sort of talk. I have no real clue what to expect if I read something like that so what it is is based in the extreme, very much focused on the atmosphere with the vocals sort half-buried in the rest of the soundscape. I think that the main focus is on a musical feel and a musical story told in a way that is not so common. Another thing is quite striking guitar lines that shine with a melody but still not really taking up that sort of space. It is music that is a touch uncommon, that we don’t hear often and also music that requires a little more from you as a listener not just something you put on while painting the fence or frying a sausage or something similar. The album plays for almost 55 minutes and has seven tracks that shows for a decent bit of variation and music that is not based in hits but more like telling a complete story.

I think this album is good, it is not your everyday kind of music that we usually get to hear but music that is made for you to listen to and use your mind to get the full amount out of it. I like that kind of music and that kind of music tend to be good as well, most of the time and when it comes to these guys it is good. Not good in the hit fashion as there is no track that really stands out but this album feels more build to work as a whole than as single tracks in some playlist somewhere. So if you are into music that is a bit more built on moods and especially the more mellow ones then I think this album will work out really well for you.

It is an impressive piece of work this album, I enjoy listening to it and it is in a way something to immerse the imagination in. I think there has been a good number of those lately with Atoma, It Bites and so on, and this is clearly one more exciting and interesting album. Take a listen to it yourself here below the review as they are offering the entire album to listen to at Soundcloud so check it out while it works which it does at the moment. So you actually have the chance to see if I am correct in what I say, which I know I am but you can confirm it. So an album I can recommend to anyone who does want something a little more, and more exciting than just the same old stuff that we always hear.