Lionās Share ā Inferno Review
By Andy-War-Hall
Some bands need no introduction; somehow, Lionās Share do. Hailing from Sundsvall, Sweden, guitarist Lars Chriss and keyboardist Kay Buckland formed the group in 1987 and, between 1995 and 2009, cranked out a smattering of respectable, high-octane heavy metal records before seemingly falling off a cliff. Lionās Share were never condemned to obscurity,1 but they never reached the level of acclaim their fans believe they deserved. Now, seventeen years after 2009ās Dark Hours, Lionās Share attempt to swing back with Inferno, something Chriss claims as āthe strongest, heaviest and most focused Lionās Share record of our career.ā Thereās a lot working against Inferno: seventeen years between albums could either stoke the flames of ambition or see them snuffed out, and vocalist Nils Patrik Johansson most recently came off a plain bad solo record in War and Peace. But can Lionās Share overcome these challenges and stumbles to claim the throne they deserve with Inferno?
Lionās Share raise their Inferno through the ancient metal magiks of the early 80s. Ruled by the riff as first envisioned by the likes of Exciter, Diamond Head, and Dio, Inferno sneers at any notion that heavy/proto-thrash doesnāt deserve consideration this side of 2000. For the most part, Infernoās throwback nature proves engaging. āThe Lionās Trialā evokes Dioās āHoly Diverā with its dramatic synth intro and anthemic structure, while āWe Will Rockā teeters the line of homage and plagiarism of Dioās āWe Rock,ā borrowing heavily from its chorus riff and vocals. Inferno flirts with select 90s innovations, like Primal Fearesque power metal in āLive Foreverā and āAnother Desireā and brooding groove in āPentagramā and āBaptized in Blood,ā which catches similar waves as Bruce Dickinsonās The Chemical Wedding. The only break from the formula is closer āRun for Your Life,ā which blends doom riffs with symphonic elements and full-on hair metal sleaze into a ridiculously fun package. Inferno sees a band that doesnāt just mimic the sounds of old but realizes them authentically.
Lionās Share sound spry as ever on Inferno. Vim drives Inferno, bestowing it great volumes of speed (āWe Will Rockā), brawn (āPentagramā), dirt (āAnother Desireā) and drama (āRun for Your Lifeā). Infernoās biggest surprise is Johansson, who sounds simply robust, and his Dioisms feel more like a feature and less like a caricature than on War and Peace. I think because Lionās Share is riff-centric, NPJ doesnāt have to carry the material himself and put too much pressure on his voice. When Inferno does call on him to take the lead, the results range from the strained hiccup of āLive Foreverā to the chest-pounding victory of āThe Lionās Trial.ā But the highlight of Inferno is Chrissā soloing, which evokes the gnarly excess of Vivian Campbell and Eddie Van Halen in their shreddy melodicism. Lionās Share may have been away from the studio for some time, but age doesnāt seem to have taken its toll on Inferno.
Lionās Share donāt do much youāve never heard before, but Inferno is just too fun not to feel like a total victory. Thereās little bloat on Inferno, bar some over repetition on āChain Childā and āLive Forever,ā and the mix is clear and dynamic enough for what Lionās Share do. The hooks are massive without being overbearing: Iāve been humming āBaptized in Bloodā and āThe Lionās Shareā all week, and āWe Will Rockā escapes the knock-off label with a ridiculously catchy verse all of its own. Infernoās lyrics are silly but delivered so convincingly it rarely comes off as corny but more tongue-in-cheek: when āWe Are What We Areā calls for a heavy metal revolution, or NPJ describes himself as the āAnti-Social Warriorā on āInferno,ā I laugh with Lionās Share. Overall, Inferno crackles and rages with simple heavy metal goodness.
Lionās Share are so easy to root for, and Inferno proves why. Good songs, good performances, excellent solos, and an undying allegiance to their craft make Inferno a blast all around. With how good āRun for Your Lifeā turned out, however, it makes me wonder if Inferno couldāve ascended beyond mere enjoyability if Lionās Share went in more adventurous directions in their songwriting. But there isnāt a whiff of pretension on this thing, and I get the sense that this is exactly the record these guys wanted to make. Lionās Share are probably not going to take the world with Inferno, but if you like your metal loud, beefy, and dated circa 1981, itās just the record you want to hear.

Rating: Good
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mps
Label: Metalville Records
Websites: lionsshare.org | lionsshare.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/lionsshareband
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026
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