Lionheart

Love Don't Live Here

Written by: MAK on 23/01/2016 18:43:21

If there is a band that doesn’t feel pressured into diversifying their sound to appeal to new fans it is Lionheart, as the Californian hardcore outfit are fresh from releasing their new album “Love Don’t Live Here”. This is the quintet’s fifth release in just six years as a follow up to their 2014 EP “Welcome To The West Coast”, and it doesn’t feel as if the quintet are in the mood to shift from churning out their macho riff fuelled anthems anytime soon.

Lionheart have always delved close to the same style of hardcore to Hatebreed and Terror. Tough guy attitude on top of simplistic chugs and riffs, hard hitting beats and lyrics that are easy to pick up so that fans can shout them back. The modern day style of hardcore that you give a newcomer to listen to so they can get an idea of what the genre sounds like. While Terror have not necessarily gone backwards, Lionheart’s fellow Californians have touched on the raw elements of hardcore roots and dropped their anthemic catchy hardcore style. This has left a nice gap for LHHC to fill.

“Love Don’t Live Here” kicks off with a track called “Pain” and it is everything we would expect from Lionheart. Half-time beats with double pedals dominating the intro, Rob Watson’s shouts are mixed with almost rappy vocals to give off the vibe that the band are quite “street” like Deez Nuts. Then there are the ever important fun grooves which Lionheart have always delivered. It’s just like listening to “Pure Anger” again with some slightly better production.

Without slating the generic nature of “Love Don’t Live Here” too hard, the album has its plus points. There are still fun elements, lyrics to shout back at the band, grooves to dance to and breakdowns to lose your shit to. Tracks like the title track “Love Don’t live Here” and “Still” are as hooking as “Lifer” and “From Nothing” were, anthemic and full of positive energy.

Lionheart deserve some credit in sticking to their guns and continuing to create music they enjoy at risk of repeating themselves and possibly boring fans by producing the same kind of music with every release. It can be taken as a positive and a negative, some may say they aren’t going to progress as far by not diversifying and others may say at least they aren’t “selling out” by staying true to their sound. One thing for sure is that Lionheart have created another album full of great vibes, fun energy and some solid hardcore anthems. “Love Don’t Live Here” is definitely a banger to kick off 2016.

7

Download: Pain, Love Don't Live Here, Still
For The Fans Of: Terror, Hatebreed, Madball, First Blood, Death Before Dishonour
Listen: facebook.com

Release date 22.01.2016
Beatdown Hardware Records

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