When Daniel Lioneye released their sleazy debut The King Of Rock ‘N Roll in 2001, they were a jokey side-project. The original lineup featured Ville Valo, guitarist Linde Lindström and bassist Mige, but everything went on hold when HIM hit the big time.
In 2010, Linde and Mige rebranded Daniel Lioneye without Ville on the more extreme metal follow-up, Vol. II, and after a six-year break, the project is back on, but with a more melodic sound.
Now with HIM keyboard player Burton onboard, Vol. III is the closest they’ve come to sounding like their parent band, especially on Break It Or Heal It. But this isn’t a Ville-less HIM album. Linde’s vocals are more Zakk Wylde than Ville, and musically, there’s more experimentation. There’s even a nod to 70s prog on the creepy interludes Messier 0 and Baba Satanas, both of which could have come from a Dario Argento soundtrack. DL have gotten serious and Vol. III is likely to surprise even HIM detractors.
