To The Lions Review

Man On The Moon, Cambridge hosting:
Orestea
To The Lions
Inanimous Theory

“These boys certainly didn’t get fed to the lions tonight!”

Their fans say that they have “great emotion” and once on stage “they seriously get into it”. This, I quickly learned, that was a certainty.

Although a seemingly quiet and shy crowd, the four named ‘To The Lions’ (a name born from setting itunes on shuffle) quickly leapt on stage and got down to business. Their massive charisma was immediately present and all four members buzzed with, as guitarist James Croft put it, ‘raw energy’ – however these guys were cooked to perfection. There is nothing better than banter with the crowd, an art that To The Lions have mastered. Not only did they draw the crowd closer in to the stage but they also united them with what their fans described as “this crazy urge to mosh or dance or even just move”. The head bopping (which progressed to head banging) and foot tapping spread through the crowd of stand-stills faster than flu. This could be down to the raw double vocals of lead singer, Tony Stead and guitarist James Croft.

Musically speaking, these four know exactly what they are doing – there is a huge amount of passion which is made pretty clear from the moment they picked up their instruments. Their sharp riffs, heavy rhythms and crunching beats are what make a diverse version of metal that has a twist of melody and heavy pinch of hardcore. Their set, including favourites like  ‘Cross My Path’, ‘Spent Shells’ and ‘Working Yourself to Death’ (my personal favourite, with guaranteed foot stomping and a kicking guitar riff) was played with sheer enjoyment and pure talent; these guys might have been second place on the bill of tonight’s show but they could easily have been taken for headline material. It is undisputable that the work gained from shedding old skins from their previous band in 2008 and powering through 2009 into becoming  ‘To the Lions’ has paid off. You couldn’t deny that they know how to set the scene; they truly set the right mood and paved the way for the headliners – ‘Orestea’. The energy and the power emanated by all four members was quite something. The tidal wave of enthusiasm that hit the crowd wasn’t or couldn’t be faked, nor would you easily find it in your average male rock band. It was a performance that was well delivered and the music our ears were treated to,  came straight from the heart.

So what do you need for a good night? Well take one of Cambridge’s most popular rock hot spots, add a band that knows how to make sure you have a good time, a pint of beer and what do you get? A gig at Man on the Moon featuring ‘To The Lions’.

By Faye Gentile
faye.gentile@yahoo.com

Check these boys out:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=162099827152091#!/tothelionsmusic