''Ahead of the Lions'' is an album by

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band Living Things, released on October 4, 2005. The first single is the song "Bom Bom Bom" was featured in a

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commercial promoting an

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-compatible phone. Some of the songs that would eventually be recorded for the ''Ahead of the Lions'' album originated from the band members' childhood. The album was recorded by

Steve Albini Steven Frank Albini (; July 22, 1962 – May 7, 2024) was an American musician and audio engineer. He founded and fronted the influential post-hardcore and noise rock bands Big Black (1981–1987), Rapeman (1987–1989) and Shellac (band), ...

(

Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...

PJ Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer-songwriter. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined local band Automat ...

Pixies Pixies may refer to: * Plural of Pixie * Pixies (band) The Pixies are an American alternative rock band from Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1986 by Black Francis (vocals, rhythm guitar, songwriter), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), Kim ...

) and produced by Living Things and Lij Shaw in the Berlin Family Basement in their hometown of St. Louis in February 2005.

Reception

As noted by Robert Christgau in the

Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Ma ...

, "Lillian Berlin is

Johnny Rotten John Joseph Lydon ( ; born 31 January 1956), also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is a British-born singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. He was the lead vocalist of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols, which was ...

with politics. His art would be nothing without his rage; he is possessed by the need to get his point across that he grabs his brothers' music by the throat and makes it bellow his tune. But his rage wouldn't be much without his analyst, which however simplistic-and it is, though at this perilous moment no more so than apolitical cynicism or liberal equivocation-gives shape, purpose, and a referent outside his tortured psyche to feelings that emanate from who knows where." (May 10, 2005) The following is a sampling from other professional reviews of the album: *"One of the most ferocious straight -ahead rock album since "

Nevermind ''Nevermind'' is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana (band), Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991, by DGC Records. It was Nirvana's first release on a Record label#Major versus independent record labels, major label an ...

" -Brian Rafferty, ''

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'' April 2005 *"Living Things are a band of fighters determined to make us all feel like winners" 4 stars review David Fricke ''

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'' Magazine Oct 2005 *"...what rock'n roll should be sounding like" Barry Nicolson, ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' *"...an agitprop opus that attacks the apathy, paranoia, and mood-altered gazes of George Bush-era America"- Stephen Mooallem, ''Interview'' Magazine *"It's been a long time since rock music felt remotely dangerous. But along come Living Things-three brothers from St. Louis who mash out an archaic collision of power chords and screaming vocals that feel like a bottle breaking your head. With the simplicity of the

Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of th ...

and the fury of

, Living Things would blast of adenoidal angst if it were not for their politics" -Dimitri Ehrlich, ''Interview'' Magazine *"...songs that pair

AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...

's aggression with

Fugazi Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They were noted for their style-transc ...

's humanistic fervor"- Jenny Williams ''Spin'' *"They are the hardest new rock band around"- Chuck Eddy ''Village Voice''

Track listing

#"Bombs Below" – 3:00 #"I Owe" – 3:00 #"Bom Bom Bom" – 3:06 #"New Year" – 3:39 #"God Made Hate" – 4:20 #"End Gospel" – 3:25 #"No New Jesus" – 3:47 #"March in Daylight" – 3:36 #"Keep It 'Til You Fold" – 4:10 #"Monsters of Man" – 2:09 #"On All Fours" – 3:50 #"I Wish the Best for You" – 4:21

Personnel

* Lillian Berlin - guitar, vocals *Cory Becker - guitar *Eve Berlin - bass guitar *Bosh Berlin - drums

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahead Of The Lions 2005 albums Living Things (band) albums Jive Records albums