White Lion - Return Of The Pride (2008)

The band's fifth album is a welcome return to the music worls. Tramp may be a little raspier than one can remember, but the songwriting skills are still there, the album rich in hard rock anthems. 'Dream' is a beautiful example of soulful rock, whilst the piano driven 'I Will' hits all the right notes. The big problem however, for some anyway, is the fact that there's no Vito Bratta twiddlinga way, meaning that the record lacks a certain punch despite its charm but, and it's a big BUT, when one lends an ear to the epic 'Battle Of Little Big Horn' you can't fail to be impressed by Jamie Law's guitarwork. Some have argued that 'Return...' is a little flat, and this is something I agree with, White Lion 2008 lacks the sparkle of previous records and whilst Tramp and co may not agree, Bratta's masterful licks gave album's such as 'Pride' a quality that enabled the band to distant themself from the middle of the road brigade. Tramp may feel the need to state his case on 'Gonna Do It My Way' but many will state that the old way was the best. Great to see White Lion back but 'Return...' isn't quite the comeback I was expecting. 6.5/10