{"id":15260,"date":"2013-10-08T00:00:29","date_gmt":"2013-10-08T00:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=15260"},"modified":"2013-11-19T20:22:20","modified_gmt":"2013-11-19T20:22:20","slug":"album-review-kings-call-lions-den","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/album-review-kings-call-lions-den\/","title":{"rendered":"KING\u2019S CALL – Lion\u2019s Den (2013) | Album \/ EP Reviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

KING\u2019S CALL
Lion\u2019s Den<\/strong><\/span>
\n\"\"
\nMausoleum (2013)<\/span>
Rating: 8\/10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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There seems to be some really good, straightforward, melody-tinged hard rock and metal bands doing the rounds today. So far in 2013 I\u2019ve been most impressed with records from the likes of Reds\u2019Cool<\/a> and Lawless<\/a>, and now I\u2019m equally awestruck by the driving harmony of King\u2019s Call, especially those earthy, gritty vocals of Brit Mike Freeland, who previously worked with Praying Mantis. Lion\u2019s Den<\/em> is the third opus by this band that was formed by Greek-born guitarist Alex Garoufalidis, who is also joined by German bassist Andreas Kramer and Azerbaijan drummer Asec Bergemann. <\/p>\n

I\u2019ve given this platter a fair few spins, and it just gets better and better. There are ten tracks on offer plus two further bonus cuts, but each one is a sure-fire winner; all boast a radio-friendly feel and sound, and that classic Garoufalidis guitar style. It\u2019s nigh on impossible to pick a favourite track, because it\u2019s an album full of rockin\u2019 riches. Lion\u2019s Den<\/em> begins life with the steady groove of \u2018Mother Nature\u2019, which features a killer Freeland vocal and catchy riff. King\u2019s Call hint at that mid to late 80s sound without ever really sounding like anyone else, despite the commercial appeal of these anthems. <\/p>\n

I\u2019m guessing that the influences are wide ranging, from Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Led Zeppelin<\/a> to Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy et al, but you\u2019d always expect these types of bands to crop up somewhere when it comes to traditional rock. A blistering track like \u2018Riding The Storm\u2019 certainly hints at Purple with those Ian Gillan-styled power grunts, while \u2018Is This The Life\u2019 has a subtle edge, evoking the likes of Magnum with that warm glow of gentle guitar. <\/p>\n

The album really does have an energetic strut about itself too, mainly due to that guitar sound which comes to the fore on the funky \u2018Avalon\u2019 and the boisterous drive of \u2018Get Up\u2019, which has that Zepp-ish spring in its step. <\/p>\n

I can only applaud an album that welcomes its audience with open arms, with each track acting as a good friend we are yet to meet. Whether it\u2019s the gentle, melodic whispers of \u2018Red Lights\u2019 or the mean chug of \u2018Holy Ground\u2019, one can\u2019t help but be engulfed by the melodic power of this superb record. Lion\u2019s Den<\/em> is proof that sometimes the best things in life are the simple things, and there\u2019s no time for ego here either as the band offers us the rich instrumental \u2018Avalon \u2013 Rising\u2019.<\/p>\n

The two bonus tracks come in the shape of the glorious strut of \u2018Waiting For You\u2019 and the graceful threads of \u2018Love Will Find A Way\u2019, both of which are taken from the band\u2019s 2011 Destiny<\/em> album featuring former Mama\u2019s Boys and Graffiti frontman Rick Chase on vocals. <\/p>\n

Lion\u2019s Den<\/em> is a pure rock record that boasts power and presence throughout. There\u2019s nothing more you can ask for, but such is the wholesome quality of this album that it is one that could easily stand the test of time. <\/p>\n

Neil Arnold<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KING\u2019S CALLLion\u2019s Den Mausoleum (2013)Rating: 8\/10 There seems to be some really good, straightforward, melody-tinged hard rock and metal bands doing the rounds today. So far in 2013 I\u2019ve been most impressed with records from the likes of Reds\u2019Cool and Lawless, and now I\u2019m equally awestruck by the driving harmony of King\u2019s Call, especially those […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,814],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-album-ep-reviews","category-kings-call"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15260"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15260\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15288,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15260\/revisions\/15288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}