Review: “Valley Of Death II” by Lionheart

For the past twenty two years Oakland California’s Lionheart have been touring the world delivering Metallic Hardcore anthems to the masses culminating in the release of no less than eleven records. Having completed a trilogy of albums in the “Welcome To The West Coast” that include infamous guest appearances by JJ Peters of Deez Nuts, Ice-T from Body Count and Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed, this time out the band return with a sequel to 2019’s “Valley Of Death”. Produced by A Day To Remember guitarist Neil Westfall before being mixed and mastered by Landmvrks vocalist Flo Salfati (Vena Bloom, Widespread Disease, Paleface Swiss), the album is once again released by Hamburg Germany based label Arising Empire…

As a band, vocalist Rob Watson, bassist Richard Mathews, drummer Jay Scott alongside guitarist duo Walle Etzel and Nik Warner are renowned for their live energy and it doesn’t take long to realise that with this album, they’ve managed to capture that when committing these songs to tape. Everything sounds fantastic too, from the crisp and clean drum sound to the deeply satisfying weighty crunch of their guitar tone and the rumbling bass, the decision to remove the reverb from Watson’s vocal that haunted the first “Valley Of Death” a great one. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing, just that it took some getting used to because it was a totally left field move in the first place. The tone for the record is set with the two step anthem that is “Bulletproof“, which has the fist in the air gang chant of “Run!” alongside some classy whammy bar action between staccato riff breaks. All of that helps give the album instant appeal because can just picture this one dropping into the bands live set without question. Continuing the rhythmic pummelling “Chewing Through the Leash” features a guest vocal appearance from Matt Honeycutt of Kublai Khan who not only adds a verse but also a vicious dog bark. That builds on the classic Knocked Loose “Arf! Arf!” in style, adding something different to a song that already boasts a catchy lyrical narrative. You just can’t help but crack a smile as it plays out and when they play it live, you know its going to be the push that makes you move.

The sound of glass breaking and whammy bars creating sirens ushers in “Ice Cold” which cleverly takes the Kublai Khan guitar sound for the first verse as if to say thank you to Honeycutt for gracing the previous track. Sing-a-long lines like “Bite down until my teeth break!” have long been a staple of what Lionheart do and here they don’t break the mold, instead doing what they do best but with a little refinement. Everything sounds sharper, heavier and nastier so they grab your attention from the first second like Predator lifting Arnold Schwarzenegger by the throat in the 1987 classic. Continuing the movie connotations, title track “Valley of Death II” feels like it rewrites the narrative of 1995’s Michael Mann movie Heat in pure unadulterated aggression with that classic Metallic Hardcore punch and the sound of gun fire. “No Peace” is the sequel to that, dropping out the guitars at points to introduce Gangster rap style background sounds to give the track an ethereal death row style vibe. This one also brings back the vocal distortions that the first album had as Watson says “Who the fucks at the door? The ghosts of my past and they came back for more!” which sends a chill down the spine. It feels strange to describe a Hardcore album as being engrossing and captivating but with tunes like this, Lionheart have achieved the seemingly impossible.

The bands previously uttered “you’re with us or against us” mentality is one that provides the energy for the eighty seven second burst of violence that is “Roll Call“, the track raising a middle finger to the bands enemies in heavy hitting style with a single verse of pure power. It could easily go on for another verse and chorus but instead of doing that Lionheart take the path less travelled and move on with “Salt the Earth“, a cut that has the fearfully addictive line “when nail becomes the hammer“. There is also a Nu-Metal echo in the chorus of this one with just a hint of Industrial Metal influence that will crack a nostalgic smile, pointing at the era that the band grew up in which is a nice touch. Upon reflection, it borrows from “Hatefuck” by Motionless In White a song which appears on their 2012 album “Infamous” but by all means, check that one out for yourself. Another short sharp shock of a track “Release the Dogs” decimates the ear canals with seventy nine seconds of visceral Hardcore and once again while you might feel the band could have done more with it, you can’t deny how good it is. A socially aware tune “In Love with the Pain” questions what love is when lovers only hang around for the money, the power and the fame with the kind of lyrical narrative that makes you wonder if Watson has felt that painful reality in his life. Waking up and smelling the coffee “Death Grip” features a guest solo from Kevin Skaff of A Day To Remember and brings the bloodstained curtain down on the album with verve and swagger, the stuccato riff breaks and thunderous percussion fuelling the vocal venom. Did anyone ever think that Lionheart no longer possessed the strength to dominate? This is a fierce reminder of exactly who they are and where they’ve been [8/10]

Track Listing

1. Bulletproof
2. Chewing Through the Leash (ft. Matt Honeycutt of Kublai Khan)
3. Ice Cold
4. Valley of Death II
5. No Peace
6. Roll Call
7. Salt the Earth
8. Release the Dogs
9. In Love with the PAin
10. Death Grip (ft. Kevin Skaff of A Day To Remember)

“Valley Of Death II” by Lionheart is out 9th January 2026 via Arising Empire