LIONHEART is an English supergroup of sorts, since it has always featured well seasoned musicians since its formation in 1980. The band currently features members of UFO and MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, plus the band's founder Dennis Stratton, who is most known for his guitar work on the first IRON MAIDEN album. Their third studio album "The Reality of Miracles" (arriving July 31st) might not be considered NWOBHM, but it's certainly some excellent Melodic Hard Rock that sounds right from the days the band first began.

 

"Thine is the Kingdom" starts the album off right. There's some excellent layering of instruments with some lovely keys and synths, a solid bass line, and melodic guitars matched with a perfect pace and some gorgeous vocals. "High Plains Drifter" and the title track "The Reality of Miracles" both have this feeling of pure nostalgia to them. Something about the mixing and the vocal melody is like a old warm blanket or like getting a reassuring hug with a mug of hot chocolate after a hard day. They're just so warm and fuzzy and it's pleasant to listen to.

 

"Five Tribes" shakes it up and gets a bit heavier with some shred in the guitar solos sprinkled throughout the song. It's definitely more of a Metal laden track for certain! "Behind the Wall" is quite a ballad. I was already locked in when the synths started the song out, then just got more theatrical and melodic as it went along. I love the layered vocals and just all around atmosphere of this one, it reminds me of the iconic ballad "Alone" by HEART at some points. "Widows" and "Outlaws of the Western World" both define AOR in sound. Catchy hooks, a melodic guitar solo with just a touch of some dueling midway through, and of course powerhouse vocals. What more could you ask for?

 

"The First Man" is one epic song. LEE goes all out vocally in this one; absolutely stellar range and dynamic as hell. The theatrics in this song are fantastic too; I'm a sucker for some frantic keys and great guitar melodies to enhance the story being told. "Still it Rains on Planet Earth" is the closing track that truly finishes the album as well as it began. The lyrics are a bit cheesy, but the catchy melodies and bits of theatrics still make it worthwhile. The guitar work is just right as well.

 

Overall, "The Reality of Miracles" is a super enjoyable album. The melodies are so catchy and rather beautiful and emotional at times. Every single member of this band is amazing at their craft and it's all so clean and precisely played. There is also this nostalgic feeling in every song; someone could have handed this album to me and I would have guessed it was recorded in the late 70s or early 80s alongside BOSTON and STYX. The mixing is perfect for that 'spin this on your turntable' sound. I also liked the occasional splashes of Hard Rock in some of the songs, but it was subtle and not at all jarring to the album's overall vibe. LIONHEART makes some fantastic Melodic Rock!