The Eye of the Storm – Metal from the Midlands: Part 2
Thunder Lion
A two-piece instrumental act from Redditch in Worcestershire, Thunder Lion have proved that a fresh and instinctive feel for music yields far more satisfying results than excessive production values or unnecessary flair.
Thunder Lion’s brand new EP, Thunder Lion vs THE WORLD, is a groove-laden stroll through musicdom, which is destined to win myriads of follows due to its unpretentious take on stripped-down rock. Comprising of only Norway Mountford and Chris Allen, the former playing both guitar and bass and the latter drums, this is a minimalist affair that relies upon the fundamentals of producing great experimental rock; repetitive riffage, solid drumwork and a feel for sound. This is precisely what Thunder Lion have brought to the table. What’s more, as this EP stands as their debut, it is impossible not to sense the potential here.
Standing somewhere between the hard-rock, anthemic credibility of Muse and the psychedelic haze of Jefferson Airplane, Thunder Lion vs THE WORLD is an incredibly diverse sample of this band’s music, but what remains consistent throughout is the bare-bones sound of the record; having spent at most a maximum of 2 hours mixing all of the tracks on the EP, there is no fear that this has been subject to the whim of an overzealous producer with a souped-up mixing board. Furthermore, quoting influences from Zeppelin to Kylesa and QOTSA to Nine Inch Nails, this is a band whose legacy is owed to more than one genre, and this fact is clearly evident throughout their EP.
Party Spray opens the EP up with its dirty-funk laden riff, and sets the tone of the record; it’s distinctly unpolished and grimy enough to get you moving straight-away. After the opener, the pace slows somewhat into more ethereal territory; the tone of both Sixty One and Norways Anthem is more sedate but no less absorbing with Norways Anthem evoking Led Zeppelin’s beautiful and haunting The Rain Song. This song in particular is completely understated but entirely moving, made all the more so by its simplicity. The fact that this EP in general is eerily redolent of Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy demonstrates startling maturity for such a new outfit. Digging for Fish alternatively, other than being a great name for a song, has a strong Kylesa groove to it, complete with time signature changes, making it the hard-rocking keystone to the record.
Thunder Lion vs THE WORLD is an early demonstration of this band’s versatility. Yet it is not just a suitable statement of intent; it has all the makings of being a great stand-out record on its own, made all the more interesting by its failure to attribute itself to one genre. The variety found here makes this a must for anybody who even vaguely considers themselves interested in music. In regards to Thunder Lion, watch this space...
Always looking in,
The Outsider
Find them on:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/thunderlionz
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