{"id":10234,"date":"2024-02-02T19:35:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T19:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=10234"},"modified":"2024-02-05T20:58:32","modified_gmt":"2024-02-05T20:58:32","slug":"hunting-lions-combine-two-eps-to-make-a-debut-album-with-plenty-of-bite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=10234","title":{"rendered":"Hunting Lions combine two EPs to make a debut album with plenty of bite"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ALBUM REVIEW: Hunting Lions – King Of the Avenue (Pirates Press Records)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Hunting Lions are a five-piece from the Bay Area of California who were formed at the beginning of the pandemic and this is their debut album.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the songs sound familiar, that’s because they are: all 10 tracks here have been released before as two separate EPs, Light <\/em>and Dark <\/em>(reviewed here<\/a><\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those records are almost sold out, so their label Pirates Press has made them available on one LP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hunting Lions are Ben Coleman (vocals), Jeremy Catrambone (guitar), Christopher Nascimento (bass), Greg Utter (McEntee) (drums) and Jesse White (guitar).<\/p>\n\n\n

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Bay Area punk band Hunting Lions. Pic by Greg Davis.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

With roots in acts like Swingin’ Utters, Roadside Bombs and US Bombs, Hunting Lions bring a wealth of experience to the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coleman’s voice is powerful and melodic at the same time, the guitars have a pleasing crunch and the rhythm section is rock solid as they lay down their punk rock ‘n’ roll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each of the 10 tracks tells a story, exploring themes of love, loss, and the ever-changing dynamics of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kings Of The Avenue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The LP keeps the running order of the EPs intact, with Dark <\/em>first, which means it opens with The City<\/em>, their take on the gentrification of San Francisco. You feel the pain as Coleman sings “the city that I love has slipped away, sinking like the Bismarck to the bottom of the Bay”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Title track Kings Of The Avenue<\/em> is next, and its swaggering riffs and gang vocals still remind me of The Old Firm Casuals, as it did when I first heard it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

War <\/em>highlights the closure of venues, while BNO <\/em>is the weakest song here, but is followed by one of the strongest, the anthemic Dead Generation<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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