Search - White Lion :: Return Of The Pride

Return Of The Pride! Return Of The TRUE Rock!!

Joy | Fairfax, VA USA | 04/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have always been a HUGE White Lion fan and at first when I heard Mike Tramp was the only original member, I was hesitant to get this album. But then I heard Set Me Free on YouTube and sampled some of these tracks and was totally blown away so I ordered this album and am hearing it for my 3rd time as I write this review and am totally speechless! This just rocks and sounds so much like their 80's stuff that if I didn't know better, I would say it's 80's but not completely a replica. There is a heaviness on about half of these songs that have a more modern sound but still sound 80's at the same time. I encourage any rock fan to check this out. I guarantee at least 1 song you will completely fall in love with. Especially the song Let Me Be Me which I talk about more below. Of course I'm in love with every song on here.



Oh and Mike Tramp sings so wonderful! Amazing vocalist!



The album opens up with this awesome Indian sounding music which is really awesome. This song called Sangre de Cristo is almost 9 minutes which might sound too long but actually it's heaven sent for anyone who really loves rock and the band like I do. I really love how this sounds like a rock opera and in a way sounds like something Blind Guardian would do but also has the White Lion 80's sounds. Another big plus is this epic song has two guitar solos which rule!! We need more guitar solos. Guitar solos are a big part of rock and I feel like without them, it's not a true rock song. This song talks about just doing what you believe in. Very mature for White Lion.



Dream is a really awesome melodic rocker and it totally sounds 80's. I love the guitar solo and I really feel like I'm back in the 80's. It's about keep dreaming.



Set Me Free is my favorite track on this album and reminds me of When The Children Cry in the beginning. It starts off slow but then builds up to this awesome rocker with awesome keys and melody. This has the best guitar solo on the album and the musicanship is incredible. It's the most 80's song on this album and it rules!!



I Will has a piano in the beginning and then turns into this awesome melodic rocker. Again, I hear all these different things going on. I just LOVE this! And the guitar solo is heaven.



The next song is a really creative song, just like Sangre de Cristo. In the CD booklet, this song is dedicated to the Native Americans and you hear an actual Indian speaking or at least it sounds like an Indian talking in the beginning. This song, Battle Of Little Big Horn talks about Custard's Last Stand and the war. It's another very mature song for White Lion. It is a pure rocker and very melodic. Here's some of the lyrics:



What A Great Day To Die

And Justice Will Be Done

And The Eagle Will Fly

When The Battle Has Begun

And A Hero Will Rise

He Will Be The One They'll All Be Talking About

In A Thousand Years Or More



This is just so epic and amazing. Of course the guitar solo doesn't fail to amaze. I also love the backing vocals singing "oooohhh oooohhh oooohhhh oooooohhhh ooohhh."



Never Let You Go is an incredible power ballad. Very melodic and a piano is used also. Love the epic guitar solo obviously. From the song, one line is "Love can never die."



Gonna Do It My Way is another thunderous rocker that sounds a lot like Hungry from their 1987 Pride album. Another all time favorite. This is so 80's, especially the guitar solo. This is the reason I'm a rock fan. Because of awesome sounds you hear in this.



Finally See The Light is another rocker where the musicianship just blows me away. There are keys and a very creative solo.



Let Me Be Me is a straight up rocker. Another 80's sounding masterpiece. I love the guitar playing and guitar solo. This song especially should be loved by all rock fans.



The booklet has the lyrics to another song called Take Me Home but it's not on the album. Someone messed up. Just to let you know, inside the booklet is so cool and artistic with all these awesome pictures of sculptures of different people doing different things. I love it!



The last two tracks on the album are recent live versions of Wait and When The Children Cry. They are bonus tracks and not exactly like the album version which is really cool because it shows creativity. I especially love the beginning of When The Children Cry.



After hearing this album over 3 times it actually impresses me just a tad more than my favorite band Def Leppard's new album but not by much. This album really sounds like it could have been a second disc to Pride. And please don't listen to anyone who says don't get this album because Mike Tramp is the only original member on this album. I am VERY impressed with this album and proud to be a White Lion fan because of this album. It shows that rock still lives. Anyone who loves rock and/or White Lion MUST get this album. You will be just as impressed and amazed as I am. ROCK ON!!!"

Sorry, but this just doesn't feel like White Lion to me

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 08/09/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"White Lion was one of my absolute favorite bands growing up, so it was with equal parts anticipation and trepidation that I awaited the arrival of Return of the Pride, the first album released under the White Lion banner in 15 years. As much as I craved new White Lion material, I was worried by the fact that vocalist Mike Tramp is the only original member on board for this comeback album. This calls into question whether Return of the Pride can truly be called a White Lion release.



I certainly don't begrudge vocalist Mike Tramp his right to keep the White Lion name alive, even though none of his fellow bandmates are willing to join him in his efforts. At the same time, I expect an album he releases as White Lion to live up to the band's legacy, and Return of the Pride just doesn't accomplish that. If this was released as a Mike Tramp solo album, I'd probably give it 4-stars and consider it an above average release. The problem is that despite some really good melodic rock songs, it never once feels like a White Lion album. I wish I could articulate that better, but there's a feeling I get when I listen to Pride and Fight to Survive that I just don't get from Return of the Pride. Part of it is due to the absence of guitarist Vitto Bratta, and part is that Tramp's voice sounds noticeably different than it did on the original White Lion albums.



That said; there are some impressive songs on this album. Sangre de Cristo and the Battle at Little Big Horn have a larger than life, Lady of the Valley kind of epic feel, and I Will and Set Me Free are just really catchy melodic rock songs. The rest of the album is pretty standard (read: unremarkable) melodic rock. The half-hearted live versions of Wait and When the Children Cry tossed on at the end don't help either. If this were released as a Mike Tramp solo album, it would probably be closer to 4-stars. As a White Lion album though, Return of the Pride just fails to deliver.

"

Finally! New Material from my favorite band!

Spectreman | Austin, TX United States | 05/02/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's taken me several listens to get used to this line-up, and I am a hard-core White Lion fan. I saw these guys play a couple years ago in Buffalo, NY. They were excellent, and I'm glad Mike Tramp put a band together to do White Lion songs, because I never got to see the original band play live. Jamie Law did an excellent job playing the Vito licks.



Now, about Return of the Pride. It's growing on me, but in my opinion, it seems like the sound and feel of the album is pre-Fight-To-Survive. For those of you who don't know, that was their actual first album...not Pride. So instead of picking up where White Lion left off in 1992 with their polished sound (i.e., "Lights and Thunder", "Love Don't Come Easy"), they seem to have gone back to a grittier and more raw sound. Don't get me wrong, I like the new album, I'm just being overly critical. There are some great tracks here like, Dream, Sangre De Cristo, Battle at Little Bighorn, Gonna Do It My Way, and Live Your Life. I will always listen to anything that Mike Tramp produces. He's one of my favorite rockers and the few times that I've met him, he's always been friendly, down-to-earth, genuine, and appreciative of his fans. Welcome back, White Lion! Thanks for the new music and rock on!!!! Can't wait to see you play these songs live!"