Blog Post
Lionville - 'Supernatural' album review
Reviewed by Iain McArthur • 4 December 2024
The 6th album from Stefano Lionetti’s Lionville marks the start of a new chapter. Until now, the glorious honey-tones of Lars Safsund have brought life to the songs but the microphone has now passed to Alexander Strandell of Art Nation, who has previously contributed to bands like Crowne and featured to great effect recently on the brilliant Nitrate album ‘Feel the Heat’.
The riffy and throbbing ‘Heading for a Hurricane’ opens the album and you can immediately detect a harder edge to Alexander’s vocals in comparison to Lars on the verses but he hits all the sweet spots in the chorus. It’s definitely a noticeable change in tone but it certainly works all the same.
Stefano is still the main song-writer but his long-time collaborator Lenny Macaluso is also involved. He masterminded Stan Bush’s ‘The Touch’ from ‘Transformers: The Movie’ and you can easily pick out the 80s vibe on songs like ‘Gone’ and ‘Breakaway’ although ‘The One’ might be the pick of the bunch.
Overall, this is a very nice AOR / melodic rock package. The change in style from the smooth West-Coast-style Safsund vocals to the more conventional melodic rock voice of Strandell is noticeable but it still works.
It would be a shock if Lionville are not added to the bill for Frontiers Festival in Milan next year and lucky gig-goers in England will get a chance to see Alexander Strandell perform with Art Nation on the H.e.a.t / Chez Kane tour in January.