Rise of the Lion is the fourth studio album by American

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 ...

band

Miss May I Miss May I is an American metalcore band from Troy, Ohio. Formed in 2007, they signed to Rise Records in 2008 and released their debut album, ''Apologies Are for the Weak'' through the label while the members were still attending high school. T ...

. It was released in Australia, Canada, and Mexico on April 25, 2014, and in the US on April 29.

Background

In the first major interview for the album, vocalist Levi Bento
spoke with
Jake Denning of Absolutepunk.net, going into a few of Denning's favorite tracks from the album, but also explained the background behind the album title: "Well, it’s a very fan based record. All the lyrics are letters back from letters we’ve gotten from fans and haven’t been able to write back. There are some topics we haven’t faced, but things that have touched while reading letters in the past. We see many tattoos and crazy stuff with the lion and how much it means to fans. Basically the lion is a symbol for us and all of our fans, we just wanted to dedicate this to them. This is our follow-through record, and we think this is going to be a big one and a big fan-base growing album for us. This is the rise of the lion."

Critical reception

At ''

Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...

'', Phil Freeman rated the album four stars out of five, saying that "there's a definite humanity to the music" on the album that features "chugs and clean choruses all the throat-punching impact any fan could ask for": However, he writes that "Ultimately, this is a forceful, headlong album with no ballads or restful interludes among it 10 track", which is "sure to make fans very happy."

Track listing

Personnel

;Miss May I * Levi Benton –

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

, lyrics * B.J. Stead – lead guitar,

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...

* Ryan Neff – bass,

clean vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

, lyrics, piano * Justin Aufdemkampe – rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jerod Boyd – drums ;Production *

Production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

and mixing by

Terry Date Terry Date (born January 31, 1956) is an American record producer and audio engineer specializing in rock genres, especially heavy metal. He is well known for his work with Metal Church, Dream Theater, Soundgarden, Overkill, Pantera, Dark Ange ...

Engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

by Terry Date and Kevin Mills * Mastering by

Ted Jensen Ted Jensen (born September 19, 1954) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered many recordings, including the Eagles' ''Hotel California'', Green Day's '' American Idiot'' and Norah Jones' ''Come Away with Me''. Biography Ted ...

at Sterling Sound, New York * Pre-production by Nathan Hook at Refraze Studios, Dayton, Ohio * Composition and lyrics by Michael Brookbank * Artwork by Aaron Marsh * Photo by Travis Shinn * Tattooing by London Reeseand * Modelling by Parker Armstrong

References

{{Authority control 2014 albums Miss May I albums Rise Records albums Albums produced by Terry Date