Metalville Records has set a July 31 release date for the new album from British hard rock veterans LIONHEART, "The Reality Of Miracles".
LIONHEART was founded in late 1980 by Dennis Stratton (ex-IRON MAIDEN), Steve Mann (MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST) and Rocky Newton (ex-MSG) with Clive Edwards (ex-UFO) completing the lineup a little later. The band started playing constant live shows, including regular sold-out gigs at the London Marquee Club. Between 1981 and 1984, more shows followed, including a performance at the Reading Festival 1981 and as support for DEF LEPPARD, WHITESNAKE and SAXON.
In 1984, CBS Records offered LIONHEART a contract. With the new singer Chad Brown, the debut album, "Hot Tonight", was recorded in Los Angeles. Phil Lanzon (URIAH HEEP) joined the band as a new keyboardist before Chad Brown was replaced by Keith Murrell (AIRRACE, MAMA'S BOYS) in 1985. The band was hit with managerial problems, and it was felt that the momentum was gone, and LIONHEART disbanded in 1985.
Rocky subsequently sang background vocals on the DEF LEPPARD albums "Pyromania" and "Hysteria" before joining the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP. Steve set up his first commercial studio and then hooked up with Rocky again in the MCAULEY SCHENKER GROUP. Dennis began a 15-year collaboration with PRAYING MANTIS. Clive went on to play with Bernie Marsden and UFO.
In 1999, LIONHEART released a double album with old demos, which sold well and once again generated interest in the band. In 2016, the organisers of the Rockingham Festival in Nottingham invited LIONHEART to play a reunion show. The four founding members seized the opportunity and brought the former SHY frontman Lee Small on board as lead singer. The show received fantastic reviews, and they decided to record another album.
"Second Nature" was released to critical acclaim in 2017 and was voted "AOR Album Of The Year" by Classic Rock magazine. This was followed by an appearance at Sweden Rock Festival, mini co-headline tours through Japan with PRAYING MANTIS, and a U.K. tour with AIRRACE.
As the Christmas single "Mary Did You Know" was released in December 2018, the musicians were already recording the follow-up album. Although most of 2019 was taken up by the other projects, the band members got together in downtime to record "The Reality Of Miracles". The 13 songs were recorded in Steve Mann's studio in Hannover. Steve also produced, mixed and mastered the album.
"The Reality Of Miracles" track listing:
01. Salvation
02. Thine Is The Kingdom
03. High Plains Drifter
04. The Reality Of Miracles
05. Five Tribes
06. Behind The Wall
07. All I Want Is You
08. Widows
09. Kingdom Of The East
10. Outlaws Of The Western World
11. Overdrive
12. The First Man
13. Still It Rains On Planet Earth (Lacrimosa)
LIONHEART is:
* Dennis Stratton - former guitarist with IRON MAIDEN
* Steve Mann - current guitarist and keyboardist with MICHAEL SCHENKER
* Rocky Newton - former bass player and backing vocalist with MCAULEY SCHENKER GROUP
* Clive Edwards - former drummer with UFO, WILD HORSES and ULI ROTH
* Lee Small - former lead vocalist with SHY and PHENOMENA
