Pride Of Lions

Lion Heart FRONTIERS

The dude from Survivor has still got it.

Jim Peterik might look a little crazy these days – a 70 year-old with wild purple hair – but this AOR legend, keyboard player and chief songwriter in Survivor’s glory days hasn’t lost his magic touch.

Lion Heart is the sixth album from Pride Of Lions, on which Peterik co-stars with younger American singer Toby Hitchcock. It’s not perfect – certainly no match for Survivor’s 80s classics Eye Of The Tiger and Vital Signs. And Hitchcock’s voice, while powerful, lacks that unique quality that two great singers – Dave Bickler and Jimi Jamison – brought to Survivor’s songs.

While there are weak spots on this album – We Play For Free is so cheesy it whiffs like overripe Roquefort – the best songs are melodic rock gold: Carry Me Back references ’83 in music and words, Unfinished Heart is the obligatory yet masterful power ballad, and with the widescreen epic Rock & Roll Boomtown the old master delivers a latecareer masterpiece. ■■■■■■■■■■