Lionville-II

Avenue Of Allies
2012


As followups go, "II" is a very solid release (even if it is not one of those albums that excites me on a Monday morning) that moves between AOR and melodic rock fairly predictably. Lionville is lead by songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Stefano Lionetti and "II" is obviously the group's sophomore release.
Armed with a small army of vocalists and musicians, Stefano makes "II" one of those release where the appeal lies in the overuse of flashy keyboard moments, snazzy guitar solos and light rock-style vocals. The album's recording took place in various studios in Italy, Sweden and the USA and it shows as different variations of rock (West-coast, European, melodic rock and AOR) all swirl together to create a classy, if slightly stuffy, album. On the plus side the gathered musicians are all quite good and the production is spot on. "II" will appeal to melodic rock and AOR fans of course so, even if it does little for me, it will be a hot item just like Lionville's 2011 release was.