Customer Reviews

Return Of The Pride

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have always been a HUGE White Lion fan and at first when I heard Mike Tramp was the only original member, I was hesitant to get this album. But then I heard Set Me Free on YouTube and sampled some of these tracks and was totally blown away so I ordered this album and am hearing it for my 3rd time as I write this review and am totally speechless! This just rocks and sounds so much like their 80's stuff that if I didn't know better, I would say it's 80's but not completely a replica. There is a heaviness on about half of these songs that have a more modern sound but still sound 80's at the same time. I encourage any rock fan to check this out. I guarantee at least 1 song you will completely fall in love with. Especially the song Let Me Be Me which I talk about more below. Of course I'm in love with every song on here.

Oh and Mike Tramp sings so wonderful! Amazing vocalist!

The album opens up with this awesome Indian sounding music which is really awesome. This song called Sangre de Cristo is almost 9 minutes which might sound too long but actually it's heaven sent for anyone who really loves rock and the band like I do. I really love how this sounds like a rock opera and in a way sounds like something Blind Guardian would do but also has the White Lion 80's sounds. Another big plus is this epic song has two guitar solos which rule!! We need more guitar solos. Guitar solos are a big part of rock and I feel like without them, it's not a true rock song. This song talks about just doing what you believe in. Very mature for White Lion.

Dream is a really awesome melodic rocker and it totally sounds 80's. I love the guitar solo and I really feel like I'm back in the 80's. It's about keep dreaming.

Set Me Free is my favorite track on this album and reminds me of When The Children Cry in the beginning. It starts off slow but then builds up to this awesome rocker with awesome keys and melody. This has the best guitar solo on the album and the musicanship is incredible. It's the most 80's song on this album and it rules!!

I Will has a piano in the beginning and then turns into this awesome melodic rocker. Again, I hear all these different things going on. I just LOVE this! And the guitar solo is heaven.

The next song is a really creative song, just like Sangre de Cristo. In the CD booklet, this song is dedicated to the Native Americans and you hear an actual Indian speaking or at least it sounds like an Indian talking in the beginning. This song, Battle Of Little Big Horn talks about Custard's Last Stand and the war. It's another very mature song for White Lion. It is a pure rocker and very melodic. Here's some of the lyrics:

What A Great Day To Die
And Justice Will Be Done
And The Eagle Will Fly
When The Battle Has Begun
And A Hero Will Rise
He Will Be The One They'll All Be Talking About
In A Thousand Years Or More

This is just so epic and amazing. Of course the guitar solo doesn't fail to amaze. I also love the backing vocals singing "oooohhh oooohhh oooohhhh oooooohhhh ooohhh."

Never Let You Go is an incredible power ballad. Very melodic and a piano is used also. Love the epic guitar solo obviously. From the song, one line is "Love can never die."

Gonna Do It My Way is another thunderous rocker that sounds a lot like Hungry from their 1987 Pride album. Another all time favorite. This is so 80's, especially the guitar solo. This is the reason I'm a rock fan. Because of awesome sounds you hear in this.

Finally See The Light is another rocker where the musicianship just blows me away. There are keys and a very creative solo.

Let Me Be Me is a straight up rocker. Another 80's sounding masterpiece. I love the guitar playing and guitar solo. This song especially should be loved by all rock fans.

The booklet has the lyrics to another song called Take Me Home but it's not on the album. Someone messed up. Just to let you know, inside the booklet is so cool and artistic with all these awesome pictures of sculptures of different people doing different things. I love it!

The last two tracks on the album are recent live versions of Wait and When The Children Cry. They are bonus tracks and not exactly like the album version which is really cool because it shows creativity. I especially love the beginning of When The Children Cry.

After hearing this album over 3 times it actually impresses me just a tad more than my favorite band Def Leppard's new album but not by much. This album really sounds like it could have been a second disc to Pride. And please don't listen to anyone who says don't get this album because Mike Tramp is the only original member on this album. I am VERY impressed with this album and proud to be a White Lion fan because of this album. It shows that rock still lives. Anyone who loves rock and/or White Lion MUST get this album. You will be just as impressed and amazed as I am. ROCK ON!!!

It's taken me several listens to get used to this line-up, and I am a hard-core White Lion fan. I saw these guys play a couple years ago in Buffalo, NY. They were excellent, and I'm glad Mike Tramp put a band together to do White Lion songs, because I never got to see the original band play live. Jamie Law did an excellent job playing the Vito licks.

Now, about Return of the Pride. It's growing on me, but in my opinion, it seems like the sound and feel of the album is pre-Fight-To-Survive. For those of you who don't know, that was their actual first album...not Pride. So instead of picking up where White Lion left off in 1992 with their polished sound (i.e., "Lights and Thunder", "Love Don't Come Easy"), they seem to have gone back to a grittier and more raw sound. Don't get me wrong, I like the new album, I'm just being overly critical. There are some great tracks here like, Dream, Sangre De Cristo, Battle at Little Bighorn, Gonna Do It My Way, and Live Your Life. I will always listen to anything that Mike Tramp produces. He's one of my favorite rockers and the few times that I've met him, he's always been friendly, down-to-earth, genuine, and appreciative of his fans. Welcome back, White Lion! Thanks for the new music and rock on!!!! Can't wait to see you play these songs live!

White Lion was one of my absolute favorite bands growing up, so it was with equal parts anticipation and trepidation that I awaited the arrival of Return of the Pride, the first album released under the White Lion banner in 15 years. As much as I craved new White Lion material, I was worried by the fact that vocalist Mike Tramp is the only original member on board for this comeback album. This calls into question whether Return of the Pride can truly be called a White Lion release.

I certainly don't begrudge vocalist Mike Tramp his right to keep the White Lion name alive, even though none of his fellow bandmates are willing to join him in his efforts. At the same time, I expect an album he releases as White Lion to live up to the band's legacy, and Return of the Pride just doesn't accomplish that. If this was released as a Mike Tramp solo album, I'd probably give it 4-stars and consider it an above average release. The problem is that despite some really good melodic rock songs, it never once feels like a White Lion album. I wish I could articulate that better, but there's a feeling I get when I listen to Pride and Fight to Survive that I just don't get from Return of the Pride. Part of it is due to the absence of guitarist Vitto Bratta, and part is that Tramp's voice sounds noticeably different than it did on the original White Lion albums.

That said; there are some impressive songs on this album. Sangre de Cristo and the Battle at Little Big Horn have a larger than life, Lady of the Valley kind of epic feel, and I Will and Set Me Free are just really catchy melodic rock songs. The rest of the album is pretty standard (read: unremarkable) melodic rock. The half-hearted live versions of Wait and When the Children Cry tossed on at the end don't help either. If this were released as a Mike Tramp solo album, it would probably be closer to 4-stars. As a White Lion album though, Return of the Pride just fails to deliver.

well iam not going to argue about whats what, but i'll give my opinion the best i can. white lion has been missing in action for almost 20 years. then all the sudden tramp puts an album out and of course me being an 80's metalhead in my day iam going to give it a try, mike tramp has done a excellent job replacing the original band members. great sound, sounds much more like pride than big game, but holds it on sound. tramps voice has gotting a little weak ,some parts of the album he sounds really good then other parts he sounds a little weak but not enough to disappoint. this album really grows on you about the 3rd time listing. battle of little big horn is a song that doesn't let you down along with dream going to do it my way and finally see the light are great songs. so it's up to you give it a try

iam sorry but all the reviews on this were mostly positive but,i have to be negative.This album lacks enyoyment,it is almost like micheal tramp lock him self in a room ,with some people, and said lets make a reunion cd.The songs lack punch ,excitement like the big game cd,or the first one.There are a few good rockers on here but for the most part it just the same old sound.I have micheal tramps solo cds and freaks of nature,and i know he can do better .If you want to try reuion cds try white snake or deff leppard this one is not worth it

AFTER 17 YEARS WE HAVE A BRAND NEW WHITE LION CD. THE SET LIST IS:


1 Sangre de Cristo
2 Dream
3 Live Your Life
4 Set Me Free
5 I Will
6 Battle at Little Big Horn
7 Never Let You Go
8 Gonna Do It My Way
9 Finally See the Light
10 Let Me Be Me

2 BONUS TRACKS: 11.- WAIT (LIVE)
12.- WHEN THE CHILDREN CRY (LIVE)



WHEN WHITE LION CAME TO PERÚ TO PERFORM A GREAT CONCERT IN APRIL 2008, DAYS BEFORE THE LAUNCH OF THE ALBUM IN THE USA, MIKE TRAMP INTRODUCED 1 NEW SONG : "DREAM". HE SAID: " ....this is a song called "dream" from our new album, kinda the same style from the old stuff..."

...AND THE SONG WAS PERFORMED AWESOME !, AND I PURCHASED THE CD FROM AMAZON AND MIKE WAS RIGHT: SAME STYLE, BUT HE DIDNT ROAR AS HE PERFORM IN THE CONCERT. CERTAINLY THE VOICE RANGE ISNT THE SAME, BUT ITS A GENUINE WHITE LION OPUS. NO EXPERIMENTS, GREAT NEWS : NO TONS OF BALLADS,NEW FULL OF QUALITY ROCK SONGS, AND A FINE ROCKIN' BAND...........(SORRY BRATTA)

YOU WILL ENJOY THIS SONGS: BATTLE AT LITTLE BIG HORN, I WILL, SANGRE DE CRISTO, GONNA DO IT MY WAY....AND YOU WILL LOVE "DREAM" IN CONCERT MORE THA THE CD VERSION.

WHY 4 STARS AND NOT 5 ?: THE BONUS TRACKS HAVE LESS QUALITY SOUND THAN THE LIVE SONGS OF "THE DEFINITIVE ROCK COLLECTION" CD, AND ARE PERFORMED LIKE THE MIKE TRAMP'S SOLO BAND. ALSO 2 MORE NEW SONGS WOULD BE FINE.

THE BOOKLET IS FINE WITH PHOTOS OF THE ACTUAL BAND, BUT NOT THE CD COVER

PICK THIS ONE: YOU WILL LOVE THE SONGS, MORE HARD ROCK SONGS WITH AN INTERESTING GTR PLAYER : JAMIE LAW

ANOTHER GOOD 2008 CD FROM AN 80s HARD ROCK BAND

I just wanted to say i just saw this band live in Bogota, Colombia... and they totally blew me away! I have never had the chance to see them, but they exceeded my expectations... i have no words! They are rocking harder than ever! As Tramp said... "Rock is back and alive like it never has been before"... and White Lion is guilty of that. Thank you!

The Good
White Lion roar back onto the scene with the 8 minute history lesson "Sangre De Cristo." I know, that sounds like a big yawner, but it's not. The track starts off tame and subdued, but soon the energy is let loose in the form of killer guitar riffs, driving drum beats, and melodic vocals. "Dream" is about never letting anyone tell you that you can't do something. The chorus is emotionally powerful and inspiring. "I Will" delves into a father's bond with his son. It's a borderline ballad, with plenty of punch.

If you didn't learn enough history with the album's opener, then White Lion tears off another page for you on "Battle of Little Big Horn." The track has an epic movie-like feel to it, so it's not all learning. The piano-heavy ballad "Never Let You Go" is sure to jerk and emotion or two out of you. "Gonna Do It My Way" is a guitar-laden rocker similar to White Lion's hey-day. "Let Me Be" also resurrects the classic White Lion sound. The live version of "Wait" comes complete with a new, and better, introduction.

The Bad
Sound quality and production doesn't exactly live up to their classic material, but you really can't fault the band that much. The live version of "When the Children Cry" is a lot slower and down-tuned than the original. It just doesn't have the same appeal as the original. And yes, Mike Tramp can't belt it out anymore, so things are tuned-down and less vocally challenging.

The Verdict
Return of the Pride can't really hold a candle to White Lion's classic material, but it's still quite enjoyable. Tramp has certainly matured in his songwriting, which shifts the band in a more contemporary direction. There are still a few good rockers though.

Mike Tramp still sounds great after all these years. Simply put, this is a very good rock album for fans of the genre. Its good to see some of these guys keepin' it alive.

The original White Lion was loved so much although the band was only a few years active. The emotional vocals of Mike Tramp, the incredible guitar of Vito Bratta placed White Lion the deepest in our hearts...
Eventhough White Lion broke up a long ago, eventhough the times have changed, there's still Mike Tramp and still keeps us rocking...
This album is not, of course, as good as the awesome albums like "Pride", "Big Game" and "Mane Attraction" of original White Lion, but it contains pure hard rock and very, very good songs...
My favourites from this album are "I Will", "Dream", "Set Me Free" and "Let Me Be Me" but other songs are good as well.
As final words, Thank You Mike Tramp, for giving us the wonderful rock'n roll again...