THE BEAST

Today, Metalville Records announces July 31st as the international release date for the highly anticipated new album of British hard rock legends Lionheart, The Reality of Miracles.

Lionheart was founded in late 1980 by Dennis Stratton (ex-Iron Maiden), Steve Mann (Michael Schenker Fest), and Rocky Newton (ex-MSG) with Clive Edwards (ex-UFO) completing the lineup a little later. The band started playing constant live shows, including regular sold-out gigs at the London Marquee Club. Between 1981 and 1984, more shows followed, including a performance at the Reading Festival 1981 and as support for Def Leppard, Whitesnake, and Saxon.

In 1984, CBS Records offered Lionheart a contract. With the new singer Chad Brown, the debut album Hot Tonight was recorded in Los Angeles. Phil Lanzon (Uriah Heep) joined the band as a new keyboardist before Chad Brown was replaced by Keith Murrell (Airrace and Mama's Boys) in 1985. The band was hit with managerial problems, and it was felt that the momentum was gone, and the band disbanded in 1985.

Rocky subsequently sang background vocals on the Def Leppard albums Pyromania and Hysteria before joining the Michael Schenker Group. Steve set up his first commercial studio and then hooked up with Rocky again in the McAuley Schenker Group. Dennis began a 15-year collaboration with Praying Mantis. Clive went on to play with Bernie Marsden and UFO.

In 1999, Lionheart released a double album with old demos, which sold well and once again generated interest in the band. In 2016, the organisers of the Rockingham Festival in Nottingham invited Lionheart to play a reunion show. The four founding members seized the opportunity and brought the former Shy frontman Lee Small on board as lead singer. The show received fantastic reviews, and they decided to record another album.

Second Nature was released to critical acclaim in 2017 and was voted AOR album of the year by Classic Rock magazine. This was followed by an appearance at Sweden Rock, mini co-headline tours through Japan with Praying Mantis, and a UK tour together with Airrace.

As the Christmas single "Mary Did You Know" was released in December 2018, the musicians were already recording the follow-up album. Although most of 2019 was taken up by the other projects, the band members got together in downtime to record The Reality Of Miracles. The 13 songs were recorded in Steve Mann's studio in Hannover. Steve also produced, mixed and mastered the album.

The Reality Of Miracles offers powerful, melodic hard rock of the highest order. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Lioneheart (UK)'s The Reality of Miracles
1. Salvation
2. Thine Is The Kingdom
3. High Plains Drifter
4. The Reality Of Miracles
5. Five Tribes
6. Behind The Wall
7. All I Want Is You
8. Widows
9. Kingdom Of The East
10. Outlaws Of The Western World
11. Overdrive
12. The First Man
13. Still It Rains On Planet Earth (Lacrimosa)

 

LIONHEART lineup 
Dennis Stratton - formerly guitarist with Iron Maiden
Steve Mann - currently guitarist and keyboardist with Michael Schenker
Rocky Newton - formerly bass player and backing vocalist with McAuley Schenker Group
Clive Edwards - formerly drummer with UFO, Wild Horses, and Uli Roth
Lee Small - formerly lead vocalist with Shy and Phenomena

 
LIONEHEART discography
Hot Tonight (1984)
Unearthed - Raiders of the Lost Archives (1999)
Second Nature (2017)
The Reality of Miracles (2020)