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Lions (stylized as LIONS) were an American
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 from
Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
, formed in 2005. The lineup consists of singer Matt Drenik, guitarist Austin Kalman and drummer Jake Perlman. Trevor Sutcliffe was Lions' bassist from their formation until his departure in 2009, where he was replaced by Mike Sellman. The band formed following the breakup of The Good Looks, the previous band of both Drenik and Perlman. To date, Lions have released one studio album; ''No Generation'' (2007), and two EPs; ''Volume One'' (2006) and ''Let No One Fall'' (2009). Since 2007, their music has been licensed for television shows (''
Sons of Anarchy ''Sons of Anarchy'' is an American Action film, action crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter for FX (TV channel), FX. Originally aired from September 3, 2008, to December 9, 2014, ''Sons of Anarchy'' follows the lives of a close-k ...
'' and ''
Californication Californication may refer to: *Californication (word), an expression that refers to the influx of Californians into various western states in the U.S. *Californication (album), ''Californication'' (album), a 1999 album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers ...
'') as well as video games ('' Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock'' and ''
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 ''WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010'' (also known as ''WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 featuring ECW'') is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for PlayStation 2 (PS2), PlayStation 3 (PS3), PlayStation Portable (PSP), ...
''). The
inclusion Inclusion or Include may refer to: Sociology * Social inclusion, action taken to support people of different backgrounds sharing life together. ** Inclusion (disability rights), promotion of people with disabilities sharing various aspects of lif ...
of "Metal Heavy Lady" in ''Guitar Hero III'' led to over 3,000 downloads of the song according to
Nielsen SoundScan Luminate Data, LLC (formerly MRC Data and P-MRC Data) is a provider of music and entertainment data. Established as a joint-venture in 2020, it brought together Nielsen Music, Alpha Data (formerly BuzzAngle Music) and Variety Business Intellige ...
.


History


Formation and ''Volume One'' EP (2005–2007)

Matt Drenik and Jake Perlman were both members of the
Austin Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...
-based rock band The Good Looks. When they later broke up in the middle of a summer tour, Drenik was told by a club owner that he would keep a
Fu Manchu Dr. Fu Manchu ( zh, t=傅滿洲/福滿洲, p=Fú Mǎnzhōu) is a supervillain who was introduced in a series of novels by the English author Sax Rohmer beginning shortly before World War I and continuing for another forty years. The character f ...
support slot if he formed another band. After renting out an open space above a bar, to write and practice, Drenik and Perlman began working with guitarist Austin Kalman and bassist Trevor Sutcliffe whose bands had also broken up. They quickly formed a new group and, following a suggestion from Perlman, named themselves Lions, due to a large lion head that covered a whole wall of open space where they practiced. Lions went on to fulfill the support slots of The Good Looks while their later shows gained the band some notoriety for their high-energy performances. To coincide with their appearance at SXSW '06, Lions recorded and released their debut EP ''Volume One'' in 2006. Reviewing the EP for
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
, Eduardo Rivadavia states that Lions "boldly attempts to straddle the hard rock decades" making comparisons to the bands
ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1969. For almost 56 years, it consisted of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard (musician), Frank Beard, and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill prior to his death in 2021. ZZ ...
,
Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated as QOTSA or QotSA) is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1996. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme shortly before he returned to his native Palm Desert, California. ...
,
Nebula A nebula (; or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral, or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regions, such as in the Pillars of Creation in ...
and Fu Manchu. He goes on to state that while "there's definite room for improvement" the EP "is a very promising first step or the band"


''No Generation'' (2007–2009)

The band soon gained record label attention from
Rock Ridge Music Rock Ridge Music is an independent record label and artist management company based in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 2004, it has signed, managed, and/or promoted artists including Reel Big Fish, Sister Hazel, Rachel Platten, Matthew Perryma ...
and
Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records is a Dutch–American record label focused on Heavy metal music, heavy metal and hard rock music. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. Formerly seen as ...
. Though Roadrunner helped to fund the recording of their debut album, they decided against signing the band. The band performed at SXSW '07, which led to the song "Metal Heavy Lady," from the ''Volume One'' EP, being licensed for use on the
Activision Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one o ...
game '' Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock'' in 2007. The song's inclusion on the game led to over 3,000 downloads according to
Nielsen SoundScan Luminate Data, LLC (formerly MRC Data and P-MRC Data) is a provider of music and entertainment data. Established as a joint-venture in 2020, it brought together Nielsen Music, Alpha Data (formerly BuzzAngle Music) and Variety Business Intellige ...
. The band were also contacted by FX to write the theme song for ''
Sons of Anarchy ''Sons of Anarchy'' is an American Action film, action crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter for FX (TV channel), FX. Originally aired from September 3, 2008, to December 9, 2014, ''Sons of Anarchy'' follows the lives of a close-k ...
'', recording it with producer
Matt Hyde Matt Hyde (born June 19, 1964) is an American record producer, engineer and mixer. He has been credited as engineer, producer, mixer and/or mastering engineer on notable albums such as No Doubt's '' Tragic Kingdom'', Monster Magnet's '' Powert ...
. Though " This Life" was chosen as the theme, Lions music was still used prominently in the show while they would later record a cover of the
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
song "
Girl from the North Country "Girl from the North Country" (occasionally known as "Girl ''of'' the North Country") is a song written by Bob Dylan. It was recorded at Columbia Recording Studios in New York City in April 1963, and released the following month as the second tr ...
" for the '' Sons of Anarchy: North Country - EP'' released in 2009. The band's music was also licensed for use on the
Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
series ''
Californication Californication may refer to: *Californication (word), an expression that refers to the influx of Californians into various western states in the U.S. *Californication (album), ''Californication'' (album), a 1999 album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers ...
''. Lions debut album ''No Generation'' was released independently on November 14, 2007, with "Start Movin'" chosen as the first single. The album received generally positive reviews upon release. Allmusic reviewer Eduardo Rivadavia states that while there are many positives on the album, "''No Generation'' unfortunately lacks some of its predecessors' excitement and urgency, leaving listeners already aware of the band's potential hungering for more." Reviewing the album for ''
The Austin Chronicle ''The Austin Chronicle'' is an alternative weekly newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demogra ...
'', Austin Powell states that the album "offers tighter production, heavier hooks, and the grooves" though he describes the end of the album as "a draining experience." Jordan Richardson of
Blogcritics Blogcritics is a blog network and online magazine of news and opinion. The site was founded in 2002 by Eric Olsen (writer), Eric Olsen and Phillip Winn. Blogcritics features more than 100 original articles every week, and maintains an archive of a ...
made comparisons to
Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...
and Fu Manchu, stating that Lions "have come up with a heavy,
bluesy Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrati ...
, ultimately rewarding record." In 2008, the band toured in support of the album, playing shows in the US supporting the
Toadies Toadies are an American rock band formed in 1989 in Fort Worth, Texas, best known for the song " Possum Kingdom". The band's classic lineup consisted of Vaden Todd Lewis (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Lisa Umbarger (bass guitar), Darrel Herbert ...
and
Local H Local H is an American rock band co-founded in 1990 in Zion, Illinois by guitarist and vocalist Scott Lucas, who has remained the band's sole consistent member. Following the departures of the early line-up's bassist and lead guitarist, Lucas a ...
, while "Start Movin'" was re-released to capitalize on the band's exposure from ''Guitar Hero III'' The same year, the band gained some interest from
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
, though no deal went through.


''Let No One Fall'' EP and recent events (2009–present)

In 2009,
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
used "Start Movin'" in promotional spots for
SummerSlam 2009 The 2009 SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was the 22nd annual SummerSlam and took place on August 23, 2009, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, marking t ...
and later included the song in the ''
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 ''WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010'' (also known as ''WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 featuring ECW'') is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for PlayStation 2 (PS2), PlayStation 3 (PS3), PlayStation Portable (PSP), ...
'' in-game soundtrack. The band began working on new songs after deciding against using previous material. The band entered pre-production of their new album in May and began recording in June with producer
Chris "Frenchie" Smith Chris "Frenchie" Smith (born in Durant, Oklahoma) is an American record producer, guitarist and songwriter. Biography Smith first began as a guitar player in the Austin, Texas noise-pop band Sixteen Deluxe in 1994. The band signed with Warner ...
. It was during this time that bassist Sutcliffe departed the band and was replaced my Mike Sellman for recording. Lions invited Scott Lucas of Local H to write with them, eventually writing the song "Screaming Out," while they were sent a demo from
Vaden Todd Lewis Vaden "Danger" Todd Lewis (born September 3, 1965) is an American musician best known as the vocalist and guitarist for Toadies, an alternative rock band from Fort Worth, Texas. Lewis was also the lead vocalist and guitarist for the Dallas-base ...
, of the Toadies, that they reworked into "Poster Child." The resulting EP, entitled ''Let No One Fall'', was released on November 23, 2009, in the UK through Maybe Records. The EP received generally positive reviews. Reviewing the EP for ''
Rock Sound ''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more " underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, ...
'', Tim Newbound stated that it was "a wicked slab of bare-bones rock." Malcolm Dowe of ''
Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions published by different companies available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' featu ...
'' states that they "prove that
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
can be given a fresh twist, bringing in daubs of
Velvet Revolver Velvet Revolver was an American hard rock supergroup consisting of Guns N' Roses members Slash (lead guitar), Duff McKagan (bass, backing vocals) and Matt Sorum (drums, backing vocals), alongside Dave Kushner (rhythm guitar) formerly of pu ...
and ueens of the Stone Age" Lions later supported
Monster Magnet Monster Magnet is an American rock music, rock band formed in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1989 by Dave Wyndorf (vocals and guitar), John McBain (musician), John McBain (guitar), and Tim Cronin (vocals and drums). The band has since undergone severa ...
and
Karma to Burn Karma to Burn (commonly abbreviated as K2B) was an American Rock music, rock band from Morgantown, West Virginia. The band was noted for its heavy, mostly instrumental sound. Their name comes from a sleevenote on Bob Dylan's 1976 album ''Desir ...
on their UK tour in December, making ''Let No One Fall'' available for free download to coincide with the tour. Drenik also launched his side project Battleme, contributing the song "Burn This Town" to the second series finale of ''Sons of Anarchy'' as well as the series soundtrack '' Sons of Anarchy: Shelter - EP''. He would later, in 2010, contribute a cover of
Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...
's " Hey Hey, My My" for the ''Sons of Anarchy'' third series finale and soundtrack '' Sons of Anarchy: The King is Gone''. In 2010, Lions performed at SXSW '10, and later performed one show in Austin, Texas in October, with Drenik focusing on his side project Battleme stating "I'm guessing we'll do a lot of back-and-forth etween bands" Lions subsequently became inactive as Drenik shifted focus to Battleme.


Musical style and influences

In an interview with
Spinner Spinner may refer to: Technology * Spinner (aeronautics), the aerodynamic cone at the hub of an aircraft propeller * Spinner (cell culture), laboratory equipment for cultivating plant or mammalian cells * Spinner (computing), a graphical widget in ...
, Matt Drenik described the band's sound as "heavy riff-rock" that was "more in the
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
vein than in the
metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
vein." Guitarist Austin Kalman described Lions sound, in ''
Total Guitar ''Total Guitar'' was a monthly music magazine based in Bath, the United Kingdom, published from 1994 to 2024. The magazine was owned by Future plc, who publish many other magazines ranging from drums and video games to technology magazines. ' ...
'', as "the halfway point between straight rock 'n' roll and
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
and metal." Jason Bennett, if ''
Nashville Scene ''Nashville Scene'' is an alternative newsweekly in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1989, became a part of Village Voice Media in 1999, and later joined the ranks of sixteen other publications after a merger of Village Voice Media with ...
'', describes that band's music as "a ferocious blend of fuzz, sweat and riffs, with a slinky Southern groove holding it all together." In an article for ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' magazine, Katie Hasty states that Lions " ombine'70s hard rock and psych elements ... with buzzing, stoner guitar rifts and Drenik's strong wail." ''
Houston Press The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown Houston, Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017. The publication is supported entirely ...
'' writer Christopher Henderson states that "Lions are the
Eagles of death metal Eagles of Death Metal is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998. Founded by Jesse Hughes (vocals, guitar) and Josh Homme (drums), the band also includes a wide range of other musicians who perform both on the band's ...
, had they spent an entire adolescent summer with Black Flag's "'' In My Head''," or
Wolfmother Wolfmother is an Australian hard rock band from Sydney. Formed in 2004, the group is centred around vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, who is the only constant member of the line-up. The band has been through many personnel changes since t ...
for people who drink domestic beer." Eric Allen of ''
Real Detroit Weekly ''Real Detroit Weekly'' (often called just ''Real Detroit'') was a weekly newspaper distributed free of charge every Wednesday from 1999 to 2014, that focused mainly on entertainment news from metro Detroit. It had a proportion of advertisements ...
'' has described the band's sound as "a heavy blend of metal,
psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic halluci ...
and hard rock that would make the former torchbearers of the genre happy." Drenik has cited influences from
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
and
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
, while guitarist Kalman cites
Sonic Youth Sonic Youth were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar), Thurston Moore (lead guitar, vocals) and Lee Ranaldo (rhythm guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of ...
,
Elliott Smith Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known as Elliott Smith, was an American musician and singer-songwriter. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of his life in Portland, Oregon, whe ...
,
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
and
avant-garde jazz Avant-garde jazz (also known as avant-jazz, experimental jazz, or "new thing") is a style of music and improvisation that combines avant-garde art music and composition with jazz. It originated in the early 1950s and developed through the late 1 ...
music as influences on his playing. The band have also seen their music compared to
Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated as QOTSA or QotSA) is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1996. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme shortly before he returned to his native Palm Desert, California. ...
,
ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1969. For almost 56 years, it consisted of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard (musician), Frank Beard, and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill prior to his death in 2021. ZZ ...
,
Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...
,
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 ...
,
Nebula A nebula (; or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral, or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regions, such as in the Pillars of Creation in ...
and
Fu Manchu Dr. Fu Manchu ( zh, t=傅滿洲/福滿洲, p=Fú Mǎnzhōu) is a supervillain who was introduced in a series of novels by the English author Sax Rohmer beginning shortly before World War I and continuing for another forty years. The character f ...
among others.


Band members

;Final Lineup *Matt Drenik – lead vocals, guitar (2005–2010) *Austin Kalman – lead guitar, backing vocals (2005–2010) *Mike Sellman – bass, backing vocals (2009–2010) *Jake Perlman – drums (2005–2010) ;Former members *Trevor Sutcliffe – bass (2005–2009)


Discography

;Studio albums *''No Generation'' (2007)    ''Track listing (with duration in minutes):''Amazon.com page for Lions EP No Generation
(Retrieved 15 April 2015)
*1    Start Movin'  (3:41) *2    No Generation  (3:12) *3    Can You Hear Me  (3:30) *4    White Angel  (3:51) *5    Evil Eye  (3:48) *6    Machine  (3:06) *7    All Hail  (3:33) *8    She Gets Around  (3:40) *9    Witch and the Star  (4:11) *10  Get Out Alive  (6:49) ;EPs *''Volume One'' (2006) *1    Metal Heavy Lady  (2:43) *2    Guns  (4:45) *3    Underground  (4:04) *4    Movement  (5:25) *5    Systems Down  (4:16) *6    Come Around  (3:21) *7    City Beats  (5:41) *''Let No One Fall'' (2009) *1    Gimmie Riot  (3:31) *2    Blow Away  (3:49) *3    Poster Child  (3:48) *4    In Your Head  (3:08) *5    Screaming Out  (4:08) *6    Big Bad  (2:52)


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lions Hard rock musical groups from Texas Musical groups established in 2005 Musical groups disestablished in 2010 Musical groups from Austin, Texas Musical quartets from Texas 2005 establishments in Texas