A good friend of mine will gladly talk to you at length about why Lillian Axe and their first two albums should be considered as 'must haves' and ' top quality'. He'll also go to a great deal of trouble to tell you that they deserve a thorough re-examination as to where exactly they rightly belong on the ladder of rock aristocracy. They've toured and recorded throughout the years when many a lesser band would have given up, and are certainly not a story of happiness and great bundles of cash.  They've almost had as many band members as LA Guns and Metal Church, and vocalist Ronny Munroe lasted less time than it takes to swing an axe let alone sing for one. BUT what they are, and this is especially true about main man and songwriter Steve Blaze, is a story of belief in your dreams and own abilities.

Bringing in new vocalist Brian Jones for their eleventh album could have been another sad twist in the story of the Axe but simply concentrating on this disc, you realise that they are one hell of a damn fine rock combo.  Lillian Axe announce their re-emergence with a hard hitting first song called 'Babylon' and it's definitely not a cover of the Faster Pussycat song by the same name, with hints at Porcupine Tree style prog merging with old skool rock, it sets you up for the rest of the album which twists and turns through the rock landscape yet never strays without need. 'Death Comes Tomorrow' has small hints of Maiden's...'Ancient Mariner' encompassed within and is a continuously building song of controlled power that blends the genres of power metal and prog excellently. 'Gather Up The Snow' continues the hard-hitting melodic stance and is another quality song that will have you re-assessing Lillian Axe and their back catalogue.

The Spanish flavoured intro to 'The Great Divide' along with the great guitar work throughout it is yet another feather in the Axe cap. Steve Blaze is a man that has no boundaries and seemingly, has no wish to put any up. Whilst Maiden and Def Leppard can never record a song with even a hint of change to their stock sound, Lillian Axe have the ability and lack of spotlight to really push themselves and go for it - much to the benefit of the listeners ears. 'Caged In' brings some serious hard rock to the fore and although the lyrics and chorus are repetitive, you'll simply be struck by the molten heat that the band brings to the table. 'My Apologies' is a more standard sounding, half tempo ballad that shows the softer side of the band and even then they can't help but throw in a soulful piece of guitar shredding to bring it together.

Forget the pop rock edge they may have indulged in back in the day (That ended a long while back for Steve Blaze) 'X1 - The Days Before Tomorrow' is a fine piece of work and the name Lillian Axe should be made more familiar than ever with the release of these ten tracks.

Just don't tell my mate....................... he may have been right in his appraisal.

www.lillianaxe.com

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