• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Lyonen is a new solo project from Maryland that blends the early US sound of bands like Odin and Keel with a European folky/power metal vibe you might get from Leaves Eyes or Delain. On the band's debut, This Is Lyonen, you get rockers like "Revelation" that feature simple, meaty riffing and straightforward choruses sharing the album with strings and sea shanty melodies on "No Borders" and "2 Hours to Go." It is a blend that sounds familiar then shifts gears to something different that is also familiar, which is an unusual experience. I give main man Tato Rivas credit for coming up with a somewhat unique way of executing the album. A great song or two would have made this a great first foray, but the overall songwriting is somewhat generic though well played. If nothing else, I'm intrigued by Lyonen and will be keeping an eye on what Rivas does next.