THE BEAST

LEATHER - We Are The Chosen - Reviewed By blabbermouth ! Check it out here at this link:

https://blabbermouth.net/reviews/we-are-the-chosen

One of heavy metal's greatest unsung heroes, Leather Leone, always had a voice that could pin you to the wall and slap you about a bit. First heard on cult US metallers CHASTAIN's 1985 debut "Mystery of Illusion", she is a studs 'n' steel powerhouse who shares pioneering DNA with the likes of DORO, HOLY MOSES's Sabine Classen and other female figureheads from metal's first golden era. Most importantly, she is still on the same blistering form that fueled CHASTAIN classics like "The 7th of Never" (1987).

A heavier, darker counterpart to LEATHER's 2018 opus "Leather II", "We Are the Chosen" is an exercise in pure heavy metal, with a crushing, modern production that gives the singer the perfect platform. Leone sings the living shit out of each and every one of these songs, from the monstrous speed metal of "We Take Back Control" through to the even more monstrous speed metal of "The Glory In The End". With a startling range that frequently dissolves into demonic screech, she tears through black-hearted anthems like "Always Been Evil" and "Off With Your Head" like a woman possessed, with DIO-like levels of dramatic presence, and a dense, obsidian vibrato that refuses to quit. On the lurching blues of "Shadows", Leone lets rip like an soul diva from the depths of Hell; on the cobwebbed and unholy balladry of "Hallowed Ground", she shimmies across the octaves with the finesse of a master.

The title track is a particularly fine example of modern, traditional metal and promises to be a nailed-on live favorite, and not just because it features some enjoyably thuggish gang vocals and an instantly singable chorus. Ultimately, Leather Leone is incredibly adept at selling the sentiment of a song, and all those years of experience have only sharpened her expressive intuition. Whether it's the high-octane swashbuckling of "Tyrants" or the mutinous call to arms of "Who Rules The World", these songs are shrewdly positioned at a musical midpoint between European power metal and its grittier and darker US equivalent, with Leone's timeless bellow as the glue that holds it all together. Again, her band are magnificent throughout, casually shapeshifting from all-out thrash to the sumptuously symphonic without losing one shred of band identity.

Not just a fine and ferocious melodic metal record, but one of the most powerful records she has ever made, "We Are The Chosen" is what happens when greatness grits its teeth and keeps chasing the dream. LEATHER forever. This fucking slays. 8/10 blabbermouth

Release Date: 11/25/22

FFO: Dio, Metal Church, Chastain

Location: San Francisco, California, USA

Leather Leone needs no introduction. She has forged her unique place in metal history a long time ago. After being scouted by Mike Varney (President of Shrapnel records), Leather emerged in the early 1980s as a pioneer of the power metal vocals with the band Chastain. After releasing five celebrated metal records with the band during that period, Leather re-emerged again in the 2000s alongside David T. Chastain to release two critically acclaimed albums, “Surrender to no One” and “We bleed Metal”.

In the last few years, Leather has allowed her creative urges to match and expand her loyal international fanbase, resulting in widely successful South American and European tours, and in the release of “Leather II” in 2018.

Anchored in her strong writing partnership with lead guitarist Vinnie Tex, and against a backdrop of unexpected Covid-19 lockdowns, the creation of a new album became Leather’s focus from early 2020.

The long-awaited “We Are The Chosen” came to light in the Autumn of 2021 at Hertz Studios in Poland ( Behemoth, Vader, Hate ), undoubtedly containing ten of Leather’s most ambitious material yet. All the songs were written, produced and recorded by Leather Leone and Vinnie Tex, except the drums recorded by Braulio Drumond and keyboard orchestration by Douglas Pinella. The album was mixed and mastered by Woitek and Slawek Wieslawski. The cover art was created by Marcelo Vasco ( Slayer, Dee Snider, Kreator, Testament ).

With her trademark boldness, Leather traverses several musical decades effortlessly, instilling the new album with the straight-from-the-furnace steel that metal legends are made of. If anything, “We Are The Chosen”, tells us that Leather is here, she is the real deal, and she is ready for more!

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“We Are The Chosen” Tracklist:
01. We Take Back Control
02. Always Been Evil
03. Shadows
04. Off With Your Head
05. We Are The Chosen
06. Tyrants
07. Hallowed Ground
08. Dark Days
09. Who Rules The World
10. The Glory in The End

Follow the band at these links:

https://instagram.com/leatherleoneofficial
https://www.facebook.com/LeatherLeone
https://leatherleone.com
https://visionmerch.com/leather-leone/