In 2005, former members of Grade and Confine, among others, resurfaced with a new project To the Lions. The band issued up a demo recording of metal-infused hardcore in the vein of 90's greats Unbroken and Integrity. Being just a demo there were the obvious flaws, but two years later the band is back with their debut full-length, Baptism of Fire, which demonstrates their growth into a genuine band worth taking notice of.
Baptism of Fire is ten tracks of bruising metallic hardcore that harkens back to the defining years when the marriage of hardcore and metal was considered to be taboo. The album kicks off with "Rise the Apocalypse," one of the re-recorded tracks from the band's demo recording. The song is a filled with great riffs and commanding vocals. To the Lions continue the assault with "Nine Calibres" and "Born to Die," both of which remind me greatly of Bloodlust Revenge-era One King Down.
"Amnesia" is another of the re-recorded tracks from the To the Lion's demo. This was one of the better songs from the demo in my opinion, so hearing it re-recorded for all to hear makes me happy. I especially love the lines, "You're not the voice of me / You're not the voice of you / This is the voice of rage / and we're in a state of war." I can picture the pile-ons and sing-alongs.
To the Lions continues to churn out cut after cut of unrelenting metallic hardcore with plenty of clout. "Nightmare Begins" is sure to rile crowds at their shows into a frenzy. The album closes with "From Fear and Hate Sets Free" and "Final Chapter" (titled "Chokehold" on the demo), which are the band's strongest showings on Baptism of Fire.
Lyrically, To the Lions take an apocalyptic/dark view on society, which is where I feel the Holy Terror/Integrity comparison is most appropriate. Even when their direction turns to other topics, there is a definite bitterness present in the lyrics.
To the Lions is a band writing music for all the right reasons. In their own words, "We love hardcore, we love playing shows, and we love writing music. Hardcore to us isn't about fashion, promo photos, Myspace pages or 'vote for our video.' No disrespect to anyone else, we're just not going to do that." It's fairly evident that To the Lions wishes it still was 1995. If you are in the same boat, help them find a DeLorean, Doc Brown, and some plutonium so they can travel back to the time of oversized shirts, Airwalks, and Jncos.
