'Lion', an emotional odyssey from Electric Pyramid.

   Set for release on 23 May, Lion is the second album from a band who are still finding their feet but know exactly where they want to go. The tone oscillates between the brutality of well-established rock and the gentleness of innate pacifism, through relentless riffs and themes as universal as they are intimate: love, hope and the search for meaning.

Photo : Andy Willsher

   The heart of this album is undoubtedly love. Fatherly love (as in Lions, written for the band's lead singer’s own daughter), romantic love, but also the broader, more spiritual love that embraces humanity. Even the title track Land Of Ghosts, which may seem darker at first, turns out to be full of hope, offering a vision of eternal life and a bond that goes beyond matter. The album screams out for love, hope, faith in humanity and the desire to do better.

But Lion is more than just a few words we call ‘themes’. Lion is an experience, a journey that takes us on softer roads like Rio and Supersize, but on less tranquil paths like Diorama, Land of Ghosts and High Flying Kind, where the force of confident rock blends with the album's soaring, catchy ambience.

Photo : Andy Willsher

Mindful Eye demonstrates the band's desire for experimentation and constant research with an almost Indian-influenced introduction before plunging into more rock riffs, giving the album real diversity.

My personal favourite is, for sure, Devil Eyes. This track, with its catchy blues-rock feel, is a perfect addition to this album full of hope, while at the same time standing out for its darker ambience. We plunge into the abyss of an introspective song that speaks of the inner battle that rages when we have to choose between taking risks for the beauty of the experience or safety.

Lion is not an album that seeks to impress with convoluted techniques, but to convey a message of hope through lyrics riddled with metaphor and personal feeling. The band have opened their hearts to us to reveal their deepest convictions and thoughts. The band's cohesion is undoubtedly at the heart of this authentic music that exudes purity. We spoke to Ol about this album in an interview available here!

The band will be at the Café de la Danse in Paris on 23 May, for a fiery and intimate Release Party, tickets for which are available here.

This album is a gift to humanity, a desire for optimism through inner peace set against heavier but soaring riffs. You can listen to the album from 23 May with - on Ol's own advice - a good glass of red wine*, in good company, for a chill, romantic evening.

*Alcohol abuse is dangerous to your health. If need be, feel free to replace that glass of wine with grape juice or any other fruit juice likely to please your palate.