One Day As A Lion is a small side project created by Rage Against the Machine vocalist Zach de la Rocha and former The Mars of Volta drummer Jon Theodore. One Day As A Lion have a really unique sound as they successfully blend rap and rock together.
Their sound features heavily distorted bass and guitar and grainy rap vocals with la Rocha's distinctive aggressive style. I truly believe that no other vocalist could have made this project work. Rocha does a fantastic job. It would be unfair not to mention Theodore's fantastic drumming too. It is rare to find an album where the drummer's skill shines through so strongly.
Wild International gets the album rolling. This track is really catchy. Great rhythm and beat and la Rocha keeps pace with the instruments delivering solid lines.
Ocean View is probably the most different sounding song on the album. Instead of la Rocha delivering concise and sharp vocals, he takes on a flowing and drawn out style that is purposely out of tune somewhat. Theodore's drumming is still absolutely phenomenal and honestly provides the back-bone for this album.
If you really want to hear this master mind of a drummer play, simply listen to Last Letter. The opening solo of this song is so good. la Rocha hits back with some deeper vocals that are slightly recessed thanks to some tuning. As the song progresses, Theodore never misses a beat and provides a consistent rhythm that never ceases to impress.
Next up is my favourite track, If You Fear Dying. The bass has a really moody distortion to it that sounds fantastic. I think Rocha's vocals are at their most angry on this track, delivering solid lines with attitude.
One Day as a Lion finishes off the album with more of a psychedelic sound. Some of the guitar strings are really distorted this time around and give off a resonating tone. Rocha feels quite distant but still offers a strong vocal presence. The drums feature more of a constant beat that have varying but small changes to them. I really liked the psychedelic sound on this one. Some of the ringing could be a bit irritating but overall really solid.
I cannot stress enough how amazing Theodore's performance is on this album. His skill on the drums is absolutely stunning. Pair this with la Rocha's unique, angry style and you have one hell of an EP. My only disappointment with the album is that it wasn't long enough, with only four tracks in total.
Do yourself a favor and buy it. iTunes
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