PRIDE OF LIONS: Live In Belgium cd + dvd

Cover	Release	Style
	2006-06-09	AOR
	Label
	Frontiers
	Website
	Pride Of Lions
	Contact
	-
	Playing Time	Cat. N°
	CD 79:37 / 34:46 - DVD ca. 90:00	FR CD 281 / FR DVD 013
	Review by	Rating
	Edwin	9/10
nederlands	Review
The ‘Lokerse Feesten’ here in Belgium is quite an interesting festival. For hardly any money at all, you can see lots of bands in every different style you can imagine. Each year, the organizers also include at least one melodic hard rock act. In the past years, EUROPE, BOB CATLEY, VAUGHN, GOTTHARD, THE SIGN and others have graced the stage. Last year, PRIDE OF LIONS was there. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend – I was enjoying a very nice holiday in Majorca at the time. It was quite a show I missed, though, as is evidenced by the release of that same concert, both on cd and dvd. PRIDE OF LIONS is of course the new band of former SURVIVOR member Jim Peterik, and young vocalist Toby Hitchcock. The two of them have two highly acclaimed studio albums under their belts and are generally accepted as one of the very best AOR acts around today. This show sees them performing in front of an audience of no less than 18000! For me, PRIDE OF LIONS is a much better continuation of SURVIVOR than the real SURVIVOR themselves. This band really excites me, and I’m afraid I can’t really say that about SURVIVOR’s new album. Jim Peterik seems to feel a lot more at home than he did in SURVIVOR as well – not only does he play the keyboards, he also plays the guitar and shares lead vocals with Toby Hitchcock and steals the show. Hitchcock may not be the world’s most charismatic frontman, but what a great voice he has, and as the show goes on, you can clearly see and hear how his confidence grows. Other musicians on stage were Ed Breckenfeld (drums), Klem Hayes (bass), Mike Aquino (guitar) and Christian Cullen (keyboards). Although it is nice to hear the band perform THE IDES OF MARCH’s ‘Vehicle’ and a couple of SURVIVOR tracks, the band’s own material is arguably of the same high quality. Highlights are many, and include opener ‘It’s Criminal’, ‘Gone’, ‘Man Behind The Mask’, the moving ‘Black Ribbons’ (written for the victims of the terrorist attacks in Madrid in 2004), ‘What Kind Of Fool’, ‘The Gift Of Song’, and the exciting ‘Music In Me’… This band has built up quite a repertoire in just a few years and only two studio albums. Nothing can beat the show’s ‘piece the resistance’, though: the brilliant ‘Unbreakable’. What a great song this is – wholly in the style of the best 80’s blockbusters and an obvious crowd pleaser. PRIDE OF LIONS’ take on ‘Eye Of The Tiger’ closes the show – an interesting, different arrangement, on which lead vocals are shared by Peterik and Hitchcock. Quite a good version it is, and judging from the massive reaction of the crow, they liked it too. It isn’t hard to imagine why Peterik counts the performance at the ‘Lokerse Feesten’ as one of the highlights of his career. Great show, great sound and an enthusiastic crowd. And now it’s a great live album and dvd as well! A must-have for every AOR fan. The cd version has a second disc with 7 fine bonus studio tracks, in their recognizable style. The dvd falls a bit short on extras, but it’s all about the (excellently filmed) show of course, and you shouldn’t miss that. On a side note, the photographs on the cover are from our very own Franky Bruyneel, rock photographer extraordinaire and part time Catman in the tribute band KISStory. Excellent job, Franky!
Musicians
Jim Peterik:vocals, guitars, keyboards Toby Hitchcock: lead vocals Ed Breckenfeld: drums Klem Hayes: bass guitar Mike Aquino: guitar, background vocals Christian Cullen: keyboards
Tracklist
CD1: It's Criminal Gone Sound of Home Man Behind The Mask The Search Is Over Music And Me Vehicle The Courage To Love Somebody Black Ribbons (Voices Of The World) Unbreakable What Kind Of Fool I Can't Hold Back The Gift Of Song Eye Of The Tiger CD2: (Bonus studio tracks) Reckless Love Stand By You So Deadly Surrender To The Night Dark Angel Black Ribbons (Voices Of The World) Feels Like Another Planet
Discography
Pride Of Lions (2003) The Destiny Stone (2004) Live In Belgium (2006 - cd) Live In Belgium (2006 – dvd)


Beekstraat 1 - B-2640 Mortsel - Belgium