Lionheart is an American

beatdown hardcore Beatdown hardcore (also known as heavy hardcore, brutal hardcore, toughguy, moshcore, or simply beatdown) is a subgenre of hardcore punk with prominent elements of heavy metal. Beatdown hardcore features aggressive vocals, down-tuned electric ...

band from

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

History

Formed in 2004 in Oakland, California, Lionheart consists out of vocalist Rob Watson, guitarists Evan Krejci and Rob McCarthy, as well of bassist Chad Hall (currently in "Wear the Crown" – a heavy metal / hardcore band formed in 2017) and drummer Jay Scott after several line-up changes. The band released their debut record ''The Will to Survive'' on September 2, 2007, via Stillborn Records and

I Scream Records I Scream Records is an independent record label founded by Laurens Kusters in 1994 in Brussels, Belgium. The label has an extensive catalogue and is one of the leading punk and hardcore labels in Western Europe. History The label's first r ...

which got re-released with bonus materials two years later. After signing a record deal with

Mediaskare Records Mediaskare Records is an American independent record label specializing in heavy metal music. The label was founded by Baron Bodnar, with its offices located in Los Angeles, California. The label's prominent artists include Volumes, Bury Your De ...

Lionheart released their second studio album ''Built on Struggle'' on January 8, 2011. A year and a half later, on May 8, 2012, the follow-up album ''Undisputed'' was released again on Mediaskare. An EP ''Welcome to the West Coast'' was released on January 14, 2014, via Fast Break Entertainment. Between July and September 2011 Lionheart toured together with I Declare War. Between January 20–31, 2012 the band toured Europe during the Persistence Tour alongside

Biohazard A biological hazard, or biohazard, is a biological substance that poses a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This could include a sample of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can adversely affect human health. A bioh ...

and

Suicidal Tendencies Suicidal Tendencies is an American crossover thrash band formed in 1980 in Venice in Los Angeles, California by vocalist Mike Muir. Muir is the only remaining original member of the band. Along with D.R.I., Corrosion of Conformity, and Stormtr ...

. In July the same year a Northern American tour followed with Thick as Blood. The band should have played Europe during that time but the concert tour got cancelled. The band drew criticism from some fans after they confirmed playing a show with

Motionless in White Motionless in White is an American metalcore band from Scranton, Pennsylvania. Formed in 2004, the band consists of lead vocalist Chris "Motionless" Cerulli, guitarists Ryan Sitkowski and Ricky "Horror" Olson, drummer Vinny Mauro and bassist Ju ...

in Hawaii. The band stated that it was only one concert. In the beginning of 2015 the band toured Europa as participant of the ''Taste of Anarchy Tour'' with Nasty and German Beatdown band Coldburn. The band played some mid-sized festivals in summer 2005 including

Ieperfest Ieperfest is a Belgian hardcore music festival held in Ypres ( nl, Ieper). The summer edition of the festival was first held in September 1992, then annually each August from 1994 to 2018 (no summer event was held in 1993). Since 2019, the summ ...

in Belgium, Traffic Jam Open Air and Summerblast Festival, both located in Germany. The festival appearances were part of a second Europe tour in Europe in 2015 where the band shared stage with bands like

Death by Stereo Death by Stereo (also referred to as D.B.S.) is an American hardcore punk band formed in Orange County, California circa 1998 by frontman Efrem Schulz. They are well known for their energetic performances and intricate guitar work. Their name ...

, H₂O, Born from Pain, 7 Seconds and

First Blood ''First Blood'' (also known as ''Rambo: First Blood'') is a 1982 American action film directed by Ted Kotcheff, and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who also stars as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. It co-stars Richard Crenna as Rambo's mentor ...

. In the beginning of 2016 the band released their fourth studio album called '' Love Don't Live Here'' via German-based label Beatdown Hardwear Records. On May 26, 2016, the band announced their break-up. Five days after that announcement Lionheart announced the dates of their ''Farewell Tour'' in Europe, which included appearances on festivals like

With Full Force Full Force (previously With Full Force) is a German heavy metal music, heavy metal and hardcore punk-oriented music festival held annually since 1994. The 2011 edition took place between 1 and 3 July at Roitzschjora airport in Löbnitz. Lineups ...

, Vainstream Rockfest and the Free & Easy Festival all located in Germany. Even so, Lionheart played shows in Serbia and Greece for the first time. On August 12, 2016, it was announced that the ''Farewell Tour'' will be expanded so the band will play their last concert in Germany on November 5, 2016, in

Chemnitz Chemnitz (; from 1953 to 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt , ) is the third-largest city in the German state of Saxony after Leipzig and Dresden. It is the 28th largest city of Germany as well as the fourth largest city in the area of former East Germany a ...

. After about a year disbanding, on Facebook the band announced that they had reunited.

Musical style

The music of Lionheart's first album was described as

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...

-rooted

metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...

, and compared with

Hatebreed Hatebreed is an American hardcore band from Bridgeport, Connecticut, formed in 1994. The band released its debut album '' Satisfaction is the Death of Desire'' in 1997, which gave the band a cult following. The band signed to Universal Records ...

. The musical style is comparable with Terror and

Settle the Score Settle the Score may refer to: * ''Settle the Score'' (album), a 2008 EP by Fight Fair * "Settle the Score" (song), a song from the ''Space Jam: A New Legacy'' soundtrack * Settle the Score (band), a German hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known ...

. Lionheart uses musical elements of beatdown hardcore and two-step in their sound. One more musical influence is

Cro-Mags Cro-Mags are an American hardcore punk band from New York City. The band, which has a strong cult following, has released six studio albums, with the first two considered the most influential. With a Hare Krishna background, they were among th ...

. Overall, Lionheart is categorized as a mixture of hardcore punk and heavy metal. The band is known for their aggressive sound which can be compared with

and Blood Stands Still.Ben Knuckles: ''Zware Metalen''
Lionheart – ''Built on Struggle'' review
(Dutch)

History

Musical style

Band members

Discography

References

External links