Artist: PRIDE OF LIONS
Album: THE ROARING OF DREAMS (CD)

Release date: 2007
Media type: CD

“The Roaring of Dreams”, PRIDE OF LIONS’ third release is possibly their most focused and distinctive album. In the words of main songwriter, guitarist/vocalist/ivory tinkler Jim Peterik: “The sound we’ve established in the first two cd’s is now familiar to the AOR / Melodic audience. With this album we strove to emphasize all the elements that we are best noted for: big hooks, soaring melodies, clever modulations, inspiring messages, the rock-solid Pride Of Lions band and of course Toby Hitchcock’s amazing range and talent”.

And indeed Toby seems to have hit his stride this time out. With vocal tour de forces such as the classic style power ballad “Faithful Heart” and the all-stops-out rocker “Heaven On Earth”, his development can be clearly heard. Toby states: “Jim made sure that I really understood the story and motivation behind every song- this way I could put myself in character and feel the mood of the song like never before”. The production team of Jim Peterik and Larry Millas is back in force and the sound is clearer than ever.

“We knew this was a make or break album for Pride of Lions. We put it all out there on the Live Album/DVD: the past and the present. This album is what our future is all about”, Jim says: “When we sat down with Serafino (President of Frontiers Records) last year, he suggested that Pride of Lions return to the more commercial and hook-oriented music of our first album and the Vital Signs album. I must say I was ready to do just that!”

You will hear the fruits of that conversation on melodic nuggets such as the City Boy inspired “Let Me Let You Go” and the non-stop drive of “Defying Gravity”. Another standout is “Language Of The Heart. “I must admit I was thinking of the song we used as our opener in my Survivor years, “Feels Like Love” when I wrote this one. It has the same energy and drive” says Jim. In this and every track the power of Ed Breckenfeld on drums, Klem Hayes on bass, Mike Aquino on guitar and Christian Cullen on keyboards is stronger than ever. Ed states: “After four years of playing together in the studio and on live shows we have really come together as a unit- we are almost psychic in anticipating the others musical moves”.

The themes that Jim’s songs are noted for are all present and accounted for. The title track, “The Roaring of Dreams” traces the lives of two frustrated people whose only escape from their humdrum lives is the dreams that they hold sacred in their hearts - the hope for a better future. “Book of Life” challenges us to be all that we can be, “Are you just a footnote, or will you rise to fill it’s pages, you were born to rock the ages, write a brand new chapter in the Book Of Life”. And to find the definitive song on a man dealing with infidelity you need to look no farther than the album’s closing track, “Turnaround” featuring a cameo vocal by Tori Hitchcock, Toby’s gifted 21 year old sister. The song plays out like a mini operetta complete with vocal counterpoint and soaring guitar leads shared by Mike Aquino and Jim Peterik. With “The Roaring of Dreams”, this band is finally destined to outrun their individual pasts and take their place as a force to be reckoned with on their own terms. Their terms are great Melodic Rock and their name is Pride Of Lions!

TRACKLIST:

1. Heaven Of Earth
2. Book Of Life
3. Love’s Eternal Flame
4. Language Of The Heart
5. Let Me You Go
6. Faithful Heart
7. Defying Gravity
8. The Roaring Of Dreams
9. Secret Of The Way
10. Astonish You
11. Tall Ships
12. Turnaround

LINE-UP:

Toby Hitchcock (vocals)
Jim Peterik (guitar)
Mike Aquino (guitar)
Klem Hayes (bass)
Christian Cullen (keyboards)
Ed Breckenfield (drums)