British rock band Lionheart return with a third single taken from their forthcoming album, The Grace Of A Dragonfly, due out on 23rd February through Metalville Records, and it’s titled ‘Little Ships’.
A rocker that pumps out loud, curling riffs wrap themselves round upbeat verses and celebratory chorus hooks telling the story of ‘Operation Dynamo’ when, between 26th May and 4th June 1940, hundreds of thousands of allied soldiers were evacuated from Dunkirk with the aid of hundreds of little ships, ranging from merchant fishing boats to yachts. The song’s anthemic choruses embodying the miraculous success of the operation.
You can check out the video here at RAMzine.
Much as it might have appeared that the covid pandemic had put paid to Lionheart’s return to active duty, it now transpires that as soon as their The Reality Of Miracles album hit the shelves back in 2020, they were knuckling down to record the next one, and decided early on, that this time they would produce a concept album, The Grace Of A Dragonfly.
Despite its title, the album in fact centres around World War II, but the band very much wanted to make this an anti-war album, while at the same time remembering those who fought for our global freedoms.
The eleven songs on the album have been described as “sensational”, as evidenced by a leap in the quality of the songwriting and production undertaken, with the intent that The Grace Of A Dragonfly be nothing short of epic and, “by far Lionheart’s finest work to date”.
Tracks featured are: ‘Declaration’, ‘Flight 19’, ‘V Is For Victory’, ‘This Is A Woman’s War’, ‘The Longest Night’, ‘The Eagle’s Nest’, ‘Little Ships’, ‘Just A Man’, ‘UXB’, ‘The Grace Of A Dragonfly’, ‘Remembrance’ and ‘Praying For World Peace’.
Lionheart were originally founded in 1980, as something akin to a supergroup constituting members from various bands tagged under the New Wave Of Heavy Metal banner. Former Iron Maiden guitarist Dennis Stratton, MSG and Sweet keyboardist/guitarist Steve Mann plus MSG and Grand Slam bass player Rocky Newton (Grand Slam, MSG) remain with the band to this day, whilst also adding backing vocals. Ex-Pat Travers Band, UFO and Uli Jon Roth drummer Clive Edwards first played with the band back in 1981, when they supported Def Leppard, and subsequently re-joined when they reformed in 2016, the year that also saw Lee Small – whose own pedigree includes Sweet and Shy join as lead vocalist.
The band’s previous single was ‘V Is For Victory’ an up-tempo lament for the terrible loss and grief suffered by countless innocent civilians on all sides during a war. It’s soaring, powerful choruses counter this with hope for the future with a call for all peoples to come together and find a way to create a peaceful world. You can check out the video for that here at RAMzine.
‘Flight 19’ was the first single to be taken from the parent album, and it relates the story of the group of bombers who disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle on 5th December 1945, after losing contact during a United States Navy overwater navigation training flight from Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale. The song’s industrial choruses convey the mysteriousness surrounding the whole affair. Again, you can also check out the video to that single right here at RAMzine.
