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How
difficult is in our days to release a terrific album? And if you
succeed in it, how difficult is to release another one, and another
one etc... am I dreaming? Not exactly! I’m just listening to “The
Destiny Stone”. Those who have read my review on Pride Of Lion’s
debut album know that I love very much that album. I never stop
listening to it and I will never will cause it’s an eternal diamond.
The
truth is that I was really anxious about Pride Of Lion’s second
album especially after I learned that it was going to be released only
a year after their awesome debut album. But it seems that I had forgot
the most basic thing regarding this band. Jim... yes, Jim Peterik is
not an ordinary man and especially not an ordinary songwriter. Jim has
offered us so many fantastic songs in the past and I just wish, he
will continue to offer us great music for many more years!
“The
Destiny Stone” is different than “Pride Of Lions”. Jim knows
very well his work and there was no chance to release a new album that
was going to be just like his previous one. I believe that this album
is kind of different than their debut cause most of the songs are
completely new conceptions and were written some months or a couple of
years ago. “Pride Of Lions” was a straight 80’s melodic
rock/A.O.R. album that reminded me (and to all of you) Survivor’s
golden era back in the 80’s. “The Destiny Stone” is a melodic
rock album but here the songs are more complex with some very smart
changes from song to song and, why not, here we have some few prog
rock elements and some 80’s A.O.R. references as logical.
The
album opens with “The Courage To Love Somebody”, a power rock song
with much energy and a very good chorus. The same goes for “Parallel
Lines” which is a high-tempo rocker with some very good synth tunes.
“Back To Camelot” is the first great ballad of the album and will
travel you back to Camelot after you start listening to it... this
song has an excellent epic feeling especially in the refrain! “Born
To Believe In You” is the first highlight of the album. An
incredible up-tempo rock song with a great hookline on the chorus that
you are gonna sing all day long! “What Kind Of Fool” is the next
highlight of the album and my personal favorite. Starts slow, and with
every song metre it becomes stronger and stronger till we reach the
chorus and our heart is about to break in pieces! What a superb and
catchy hookline and what a great lyric theme. “Man Behind The
Mask” is an “old” song from the early 80’s, which has a Styx
influence on the verse but then on the chorus becomes an excellent
Pride Of Lions song. This songs needs some more listenings in order to
get its feeling. Pay attention to the concept idea of this song. I
personally love it! “Light From A Distant Shore” is another very
good ballad yet so far away as it concerns the feeling of “Back To
Camelot”. Another winner on the album... after all Jim knows very
well how to write brilliant ballads! “Letter To The Future” is
another rocker, which has a very good chorus and very smart lyrics.
“The Destiny Stone” is a mid tempo song which has those prog
influences that I mentioned before and a very dramatic tone through
the whole song. Not an easy one, but in the very end it will get you
for sure! “Second Hand Life” is a melodious rocker with a very
groove rhythm and a good chorus as well. “Falling Back To Then”
has a hard rock part in the beginning of the song and then it turns
out to a classic melodic rocker like those that only Jim knows to
deliver! Another great song with a very strong chorus! The last song
of the album “The Gift Of Song” is maybe the most difficult and
different song of the album. In this song the prog rock influences are
easy to be found. The songs starts out as a classic Pride Of Lions
ballad... and then in the middle of the song we have a break... a very
smart and musically excellent break that no one maybe waited to listen
to a Pride Of Lions album. This song needs several hearings and it
will become your favorite one! Outstanding song with a very smart
orchestration!
I
have written it before but I have to mention it once again... do not
wait to listen to a similar to the debut album here. This album is
more elegant than the previous one and needs several listenings to
grow inside of you. Pride Of Lions and Jim proved that know how to
move right in music paths and to offer to fans really wonderful
albums. If you liked Pride Of Lions debut album or if you love
Survivor or Mecca and in general if you like Jim Peterik then you have
no excuse to miss such a tremendous album. On the other hand if you
love good melodic music with great hooklines and catchy songs full of
feeling then you just found the album of the year!!!
by Thanos Aggelakis 9/10
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