LIONVILLE - II (Release: Nov, 30 - Avenue Of Allies)

As i said a year and a half ago i keep believing that The World Without Your Love was the best melodic rock song from 2011, actually, the whole debut album by these guys is real good so expectation for their new release were too high... and Lionville has succeeded, II is a real good AOR effort.

Stefano Lionetti shows that he's got the touch, the guy has the ability of writing good and catchy tunes while Lars Safsund shines, Pierpaolo Monti grows as drummer doing an elaborate work and Alessandro DelVecchio reaffirms as an excellent keyboardist. But there's a darkest side to this album... sound and guitar work. With a crappy and hilarious budget it's difficult to reach some quality standards, the band achieves it but sometimes deficiences in sound are notable... it would be great to listen to DelVecchio playing an acoustic piano in some tracks or finding some orchestral arrengements. The second negative point is guitar work. As in their debut album, guitar work should be more complex. Guitars sound empty, no catchy riffs, no passionate solos, no anything... actually guitars from song number one could work on song number two, three, six or whatever.
Among others Bruce Gaistch, Peter Friestedt, Robert Sall and Tamara and Bill Champlin are featured in this album. Actually Bill Champlin shares vocals with Safsund in Higher and he is completely burried by Lionsville's singer. This cut sounds more of Pride Of Lions than Lionville and with no doubt is the weakest track in the album despite Safsund vocals are great and an interesting work by DelVecchio reminding of David Paich from Toto.
We have to mention the cover of Waiting For A Star To Fall. Well, not a bad cover but can't reach the brightness of the original by Boy Meets Girl.
The rest of the album is real good with special attention to Another Day, Next to Me, One in a Million and No Turning Back, a monster ballad introducing some beautiful spanish guitar.
Awesome are backing vocals all over the album... 10 out of 10.
Another good album by a band that have just become a benchmark in the european melodic rock scene.

And now instead of blah blah blah about every song take a listen to some sounds:







Links
http://www.lionville.it/site/
http://www.facebook.com/LIONVILLEofficial?ref=ts&fref=ts