LIONIZE – Nuclear Soul

8.5/10

LIONIZE - Nuclear Soul - 8.5/10

8.5/10

Summary

The End Records
Release date: September 8, 2017

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Nuclear Soul, the sixth album from Maryland’s Lionize, has very few of the obvious trappings of one typically associates with a Heavy Metal album—but don’t run away yet. There are a few big chords, some furious rhythmic riffs, and powerful vocals, but Nuclear Soul exists in that strange but wonderful space where many styles are sampled and utilized, but in a way that makes the final result sui generis. Lionize take ideas from Blues, Funk, Groove, Metal, Hard Rock, Psychedelia—anything they feel suits the emotive needs of the song, and couple it with some amazing musicianship and the big Soul voice of Nate Berg to create something truly wonderful. Check out the Purple-y keyboard wash and rhythm assault on album opener “Darkest Timeline”.

Check out the bass line in “Face On Mars” (in fact, check out the bass line of every song; Hank Upton’s playing throughout is nothing short of amazing). Check out the ending guitar solo on closer “Blindness To Danger”. Check out the message on “Election Day”. Check out the gorgeous vocal of the title track. Check out “Fire In Athena”—have you ever wondered what Otis Redding might sound like singing over a Thin Lizzy riff? Apparently Lionize has, because that is the effect they create during parts of this great song. The vibe on some of the songs on Nuclear Soul, especially “Power Grid”, is akin to California’s The Bellrays, but beyond that their sound is their own, and it is a sound that earns repeated listens.

TUNE INTO METALEXPRESSRADIO.COM at NOON & MIDNIGHT (EST) / 6:00 & 18:00 (CET) TO HEAR THE BEST TRACKS FROM THIS UPCOMING RELEASE!!!

Lionize

Author

Daniel Waters

Daniel was a reviewer here at Metal Express Radio. Iron Maiden’s Piece Of Mind wasn’t the first Metal album he owned, but it was the one that lifted the lid off his soul when he received the record as a gift on his 15th birthday. He's been a Metal fan ever since. He's probably best known as the author of various Young Adult novels such as the Generation Dead series and the ghost story Break My Heart 1,000 Times, now also a major motion picture entitled I Still See You, starring Bella Thorne. Writing and music, especially Heavy Metal music, has always been inextricably linked in his mind and career. His first paid gig doing any type of writing was for Cemetery Dance, where he wrote a horror-themed music column called Dead Beats, and when he was writing the first Generation Dead novel he had a ritual where he started his writing day with a Metal playlist that kicked off with “Crushing Belial” by Shadows Fall.
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