Led By Lions

A Long Time Coming

Written by: MN on 23/09/2014 15:28:40

Led By Lions are a new Welsh quintet hailing from Cardiff where they recently took on the important task of releasing a debut EP only a year and a half post-formation. "A Long Time Coming" is perhaps a title befitting of a band extremely eager to demonstrate what skills they possess and it is also this youthful energy that foreshadows a future for a band who are competing in one of the toughest genre areas, namely that of post-hardcore/pop-punk. This, of course, does not imply that making it in other genres is much easier, but rather the pursuit of standing out in the masses is a monumental task for any band, especially within this area that has a plethora of bands unfortunately sounding way too much alike. Led By Lions toy mostly with pop-punk along the lines of Sugarcult, New Found Glory and Yellowcard, but luckily the band also tries to stay contemporary by involving some more harsh vocals, post-hardcore riffs and hints at a metalcore soundscape. Led By Lions are successful in allowing some variation to further experiment which direction they would like to be heading. Another band that have made a similar impression on me is that of Las Vegas-based Apex Of Apathy, who also toy with some prog elements, but still have a somewhat similar tone to Led By Lions.

The EP consists of an intro song and four full tracks which give a decent idea of LBL's capabilities. Intro- opener "So What Do We Do Now" is a guitar driven instrumental reminiscent of some early Senses Fail, the song eventually morphs into "Just Close Your Eyes And Think Of MacGyver" which initiates with some harsh vocals, but it is clear that melody and cleans generally outweigh some of the more heavy parts. There are times when I think if the band were given a chance, then they would be positively received in the golden age of emo/screamo rock back a solid 5 years ago where bands like Funeral For A Friend, My Chemical Romance and The Used were receiving airplay. "Song For A Hero" is a soaring melodious piece that shows the somewhat softer side of Led By Lions. "Fall Of A Giant" is my personal favourite as it has more of a gritty rock edge to it, yet not abandoning their trademark melodious hooks, especially the chorus. It also contains a longer instrumental passage and use of double pedals, making it one of the more complete tracks on the EP. "So Far Away" is the crowd-pleaser track that retains momentum by a full throttle- chorus and a contagious sing-a-long potential.

Led By Lions are a great post-hardcore/pop punk group that deserve to be given a shot, the record shows some good potential. The actual production could of course be improved greatly, but for a debut record it is acceptable. It will be interesting to see how this quintet manages to continue to evolve and take on the challenge of a sophomore record.

Download: So Far Away, Song For A Hero
For The Fans Of: Senses Fail, Finch, Hawthorne Heights
Listen: facebook.com

Release date Summer 2014
Self-released

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