Reviewed by Andy Shaw

St Louis' In The Midst Of Lions are everything you would expect from a band signed to Facedown Records. As a label Facedown have mastered the art of the brutally heavy hardcore album and this 'Shadows' picks up where previous release 'The Heart Of Man' left off. All the essential elements are there with technical guitar riffs, breakdowns and plenty of guttural screaming. The album growls into life from the off with opener "False Idols" urging the listener to "kill your idols!" This album is at its best when the guitarists are set loose and allowed to let rip with some massive hooks and catchy riffs on the likes of "The Call", "Cry Of The Oppressed" and "New Beginnings". I would say that as a whole the album is a bit too monotone with no real melodic moments to speak of. This may well not be an issue and is probably a matter of taste, I personally prefer to be given a breather from a brutal beating, but I'm probably a lightweight! Having said that I survived and, more than that, enjoyed the (just over) half hour of power provided on this album.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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