Album review: PRIDE OF LIONS – Dream Higher

Frontiers [Release date 16.06.23]

Seventh studio album from Pride Of Lions.

The “Survivor” name has been purged from all official publicity associated with Peterik for legal reasons, but anyone who is at all interested in the genre well knows Peterik’s illustrious past.

Ironically, it’s arguable that the material he wrote for 38 Special and Lynyrd Skynyrd is as much a claim to fame as the ‘Eye Of The Tiger’ and ‘Burning Heart’ Rocky anthems.

That was then. Once you get past the overblown sentiments of Jim Peterik’s lyrics and his vocalist, Toby Hitchcock’s tendency to over emote, you realise that Pride Of Lions is a decent melodic rock band.

‘Dream Higher’,a skilfully constructed rock song, rolls back time to the genre’s glory years, indelibly stamped with Peterik’s ability to reach for the epic.
The lightweight pop of ‘Driving And Dreaming’, which unlikely as it might seem, gets down to earth, has Peterik and Hitchcock sharing lead vocals.
We’re on an interesting journey.

But not always rewarding. While ‘Find Somebody To Love’ and ‘Renegade Heart’ channel the spirit of Survivor’s single releases in the 80s, delivering a shot of nostalgia right to the listener’s heart, elsewhere and a bit too often, tracks like ‘My Destiny’, ‘Through It All’ and ‘Something To Live For’ are just too saccharine, even to the most receptive of palates. ***

Review by Brian McGowan

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Power Plays w/c 21 April 2025

THE DEVIL WEARS NADA Late Night Talking (Eonian Records)
DROWNING POOL Madness (SBG Records)
PARKER BARROW Make It (indie)
REDIKIN Nailed It (Wormholedeath)
PENNY FOUNTAIN Euphoria (indie)
CRY FOR MERCY Saving Grace (indie)
VIGILANTES Life In The Fast Brain (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 21 April 2025

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Singer Songwriter)

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