Lionsheart
Encyclopedia
Lionsheart is a British heavy metal
band from Cheltenham
, Gloucestershire
, England
, formed in 1992. Founded by former Grim Reaper
/Onslaught
vocalist Steve Grimmett
Lionsheart's early releases included fast tempos, instrumentals, and aggressive musicianship that placed them as a major player in the NWOBHM subgenre. The band found initial success in Japan
.
Lionsheart has released four studio album
s, and one live album
.
, alongside twin musicians Mark and Steve Owers formerly of Fury and Touche. Lionsheart with the addition of drummer Anthony Christmas and keyboardist Graham Collett soon released a set of demos coming from the classical rock mold. In 1994 the twins quit the band two shows into the Lillian Axe
British/European tour necessitating the recruitment of guitarist Nick Burr and Zakk Bajjon. The new lineup opened for Magnum on the British tour.
While Lionsheart scored success in Japan on their first album entitled Lionsheart, their follow up album titled Pride In Tact, achieved another success, selling over 100,000 copies in Japan. Faced with a cold response from the British press, the group's reaction from British rock fans was lukewarm. In spite of this, the band garnered a successful tour in 1995 with labelmates Tyketto. Anthony Christmas was replaced with Michael O'Brien at this time.
Their third effort Under Fire took three years to emerge as legal battles with its record company waged on. Finally released in 1998, the album featured Grimmett and Tyketto guitarist Brooke St. James, Graham Collett and O'Brien. The sales were poor. At this time, Lionsheart folded and Grimmett founded Pride. In late 2000, Grimmett unveiled Seven Deadly Sins. Joining him on this venture was Collett, Eddie Marsh on bass and Peter Newdeck on drums.
A live recording titled Rising Sons - Live In Japan 1993 emerged in 2000 via the Zoom Club label. Finding some new momentum, Lionsheart reformed and self financed a new studio album Abyss
. Recorded at the Warehouse Studio in Oxford throughout May and June 2003. Dallas, Texas
based label Metaledge Records released this album digitally in June 2004 in North America, and Italian based label Frontiers released the album to the rest of the world. Lineup changes brought Gavin Cooper to the band in May.
In late 2006 Grimmett unveiled his brand new Tewkesbury based band project, simply titled The Steve Grimmett Band, this unit involving guitarist Ian Nash, bassist Ritchie Walker and drummer Pete Newdeck. Album recordings were co-produced by Newdeck and Pink Cream 69 bassist Dennis Ward.
In July 2008 Grimmett was announced as fronting the Fargo, North Dakota Heavy Metal band Grimmstine, assembled by Methuselah and Dozer guitarist Steve Stine in union with the Sons of Poseidon rhythm section of bassist Hat and drummer Dave Johnson. The latter also has credits with Denied By Christ and Methuselah.
Live Albums
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band from Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, formed in 1992. Founded by former Grim Reaper
Grim Reaper (band)
Grim Reaper are a British heavy metal band from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal era. The band was formed in 1979 in Droitwich, England, by guitarist Nick Bowcott.-Early years :...
/Onslaught
Onslaught (band)
Onslaught are an English thrash metal band from Bristol, England. Initially active from 1983 to 1991, they reformed in 2004. The band initially drew influence from the second wave punk rock bands such as Discharge and The Exploited, and then adopted a straight forward thrash metal...
vocalist Steve Grimmett
Steve Grimmett
Steve Grimmett is a heavy metal vocalist who began his career in the era of New Wave of British Heavy Metal. His original band was the short-lived Medusa, before he became known as the lead vocalist for Grim Reaper...
Lionsheart's early releases included fast tempos, instrumentals, and aggressive musicianship that placed them as a major player in the NWOBHM subgenre. The band found initial success in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Lionsheart has released four studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
s, and one live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
.
History
Lionsheart was formed in the West Midlands in 1992, by former Grim Reaper/Onslaught vocalist Steve GrimmettSteve Grimmett
Steve Grimmett is a heavy metal vocalist who began his career in the era of New Wave of British Heavy Metal. His original band was the short-lived Medusa, before he became known as the lead vocalist for Grim Reaper...
, alongside twin musicians Mark and Steve Owers formerly of Fury and Touche. Lionsheart with the addition of drummer Anthony Christmas and keyboardist Graham Collett soon released a set of demos coming from the classical rock mold. In 1994 the twins quit the band two shows into the Lillian Axe
Lillian Axe
Lillian Axe is a hard rock band from New Orleans who write and perform music from acoustic ballads to full out heavy metal anthems. Four studio recordings were released before they disbanded in 1995...
British/European tour necessitating the recruitment of guitarist Nick Burr and Zakk Bajjon. The new lineup opened for Magnum on the British tour.
While Lionsheart scored success in Japan on their first album entitled Lionsheart, their follow up album titled Pride In Tact, achieved another success, selling over 100,000 copies in Japan. Faced with a cold response from the British press, the group's reaction from British rock fans was lukewarm. In spite of this, the band garnered a successful tour in 1995 with labelmates Tyketto. Anthony Christmas was replaced with Michael O'Brien at this time.
Their third effort Under Fire took three years to emerge as legal battles with its record company waged on. Finally released in 1998, the album featured Grimmett and Tyketto guitarist Brooke St. James, Graham Collett and O'Brien. The sales were poor. At this time, Lionsheart folded and Grimmett founded Pride. In late 2000, Grimmett unveiled Seven Deadly Sins. Joining him on this venture was Collett, Eddie Marsh on bass and Peter Newdeck on drums.
A live recording titled Rising Sons - Live In Japan 1993 emerged in 2000 via the Zoom Club label. Finding some new momentum, Lionsheart reformed and self financed a new studio album Abyss
Abyss (album)
Abyss is the fourth album by British heavy metal band Lionsheart, released by Metaledge Records on June 24, 2004.-Reception:Abyss is often hailed by fans as the rebirth of Lionsheart being their first studio album since 1998's Under Fire...
. Recorded at the Warehouse Studio in Oxford throughout May and June 2003. Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
based label Metaledge Records released this album digitally in June 2004 in North America, and Italian based label Frontiers released the album to the rest of the world. Lineup changes brought Gavin Cooper to the band in May.
In late 2006 Grimmett unveiled his brand new Tewkesbury based band project, simply titled The Steve Grimmett Band, this unit involving guitarist Ian Nash, bassist Ritchie Walker and drummer Pete Newdeck. Album recordings were co-produced by Newdeck and Pink Cream 69 bassist Dennis Ward.
In July 2008 Grimmett was announced as fronting the Fargo, North Dakota Heavy Metal band Grimmstine, assembled by Methuselah and Dozer guitarist Steve Stine in union with the Sons of Poseidon rhythm section of bassist Hat and drummer Dave Johnson. The latter also has credits with Denied By Christ and Methuselah.
Current members
- Steve GrimmettSteve GrimmettSteve Grimmett is a heavy metal vocalist who began his career in the era of New Wave of British Heavy Metal. His original band was the short-lived Medusa, before he became known as the lead vocalist for Grim Reaper...
-Vocals - Ian Nash-Guitars
- Steve Hales-Drums
- Eddie Marsh-Bass
Former members
- Anthony Christmas-Drums (1992–1994)
- Graham Collett-Keyboards (1992–1998)
- Mark Owers-Guitars (1992–1994)
- Steve Owers-Bass (1992–1994)
Discography
Studio albums| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Lionsheart | Music For Nations Music For Nations Music For Nations was a British independent record label focusing mainly on rock and metal. They were a subsidiary of the larger label distributor Zomba Records who in turn is owned by BMG.... |
| 1994 | Pride In Tact | |
| 1998 | Under Fire | |
| 2004 | Abyss Abyss (album) Abyss is the fourth album by British heavy metal band Lionsheart, released by Metaledge Records on June 24, 2004.-Reception:Abyss is often hailed by fans as the rebirth of Lionsheart being their first studio album since 1998's Under Fire... |
Metaledge Records/Frontiers |
Live Albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "Rising Sons - Live In Japan 1993" | Zoom Club Records |