XI: The Days Before Tomorrow

XI: The Days Before Tomorrow is a work on which LILLIAN AXE drew mature hard rock through heavy guitar, shadowed melody and restrained vocals. Rather than flashy speed, they value the tension that accumulates within the songs and the emotion that rises from the quiet parts. It is a record on which the band’s matured expression bore deep fruit. On “Babylon,” “The Great Divide” and “Caged In,” while holding a dark air, the choruses have a strong melodic sense. Songs like “Death Comes Tomorrow,” “Bow Your Head” and “Soul Disease” breathe the band’s full playing too. They carefully bind heaviness and lyricism. Welcoming former Metal Church vocalist Ronny Munroe as its new singer, this record makes one feel LILLIAN AXE’s depth anew — a full record.