Rating: 9 / 10 Stars
LIONSOUL is: Ivan Castelli (vocals), Aurelio Parise (guitar), Francesco Pedrini (guitar), Giuseppe Lombardo (bass), and Luca Mazzucconi (drums)
REVIEW – Since their inception in 2012, LIONSOUL have shared the stage and toured with artists including Domine, Iron Savior, GammaRay, Kissin’ Dynamite, Geoff Tate, and Tygers Of Pan Tang in Italy and across Europe, as well as appearing at festivals such as Metal For Emergency, Biker Fest, and Loud and Proud Festival.
For LionSoul, “A Pledge To Darkness” represents a major leap forward in their career, since “A Pledge To Darkness’ is more diverse and darker than their prior releases. It has 11 raging transcendent tunes, spanning from thrash to melodic death metal, with some death metal vocals thrown in to emphasize certain portions further. The album consists of a variety of musical techniques that all come together to provide a sound that is still powerful and energy-driven. The songs span from a typical power metal opening with expansive atmospheres to a futuristic western ballad, from speed metal tracks – with nods to thrash and melodic death metal – to 80’s synth-wave compositions, from mid-tempo hymns in Teutonic/industrial style to the nearly ubiquitous Cyberpunk themes. “A Pledge to Darkness” remains throughout all aspects a power metal album, albeit with some dispensed contaminations. The The ultimate objective of ‘A Pledge To Darkness’ is to transport the listener from Tatooine to 2049 Los Angeles via Tranctor. A statement from the band further explains:
“Imagine your planet at the end of its life and you have the burden to preserve the knowledge so you take a spaceship for a trip to L A in 2049 meanwhile you pass through a portal between 1953 to 1986 and also you change your skin to save the human race from a virus.”
“Continuum,” the first song on “A Pledge To Darkness,” progressively engulfs you in strange instrumentation and words. As for the following song “Exile to Arise,” it’s full of crunching, pounding percussion as well as heavy bass lines and strong vocals. ‘Amber of Illusion,’ the album’s third tune, is sure to have the listener rocking all night long. The fist-pumping, head-banging energy of “Wailing in Red” is sure to engulf the listener’s senses. The following song, “No Beginning (Nor End),” is pure power metal brilliance.
The sixth song, “Soldier Through Time,” is a fast, harsh, and powerful speed metal gem. “Skin 2” is a guitar-shredding, bass-thumping, drum-pounding screamer. The album’s title track, “A Pledge to Darkness,” is a fast-paced musical number. With “Red Flame,” the following tune, you may shut your eyes and let yourself be carried away by memories and feelings. The ninth tune, “Man, Machine, Almost Rhyme,” has crunching riffs, thunderous drums, pounding bass, blazing leads, and soaring vocals. LIONSOUL’s ‘A Pledge To Darkness’ concludes with the fist-pumping, head-banging track “The Stranger.”
In April 2022, “A Pledge to Darkness” will be released for lovers of rapid heavy metal, power metal, hard rock, and 80’s soundtracks.
For more information on LIONSOUL, visit:
www.LionSoul.it
www.Facebook.com/LionSoulBand
www.Twitter.com/LionSoul_Band
www.Instagram.com/LionSoulOfficial
www.YouTube.com/LionSoul
www.Spotify.com/LionSoul
