The last time I saw local legend and melodic rock cornerstone, Jim Peterik, was at the West Chicago stop of Onslaught and Warlord’s co-headline jaunt of all places. An underground thrash show was the last place on earth I expected to bump into Mr. “Eye of the Tiger”, but alas, here we were. We briefly said hi before going our separate ways (Hey, that wasn’t Survivor!), and I couldn’t help but think to myself, “Man, I hope I’m half as cool as Jim Peterik when I’m 75.” I say that as if I’ll even be so lucky to make it that long, but I digress. Even this past weekend, Peterik and The Ides of March rung in America’s 250th with a 4th of July concert in the southwestern Chicagoland suburb of New Lenox. Less than a week later and we see the release of Pride of Lions’ eighth album, Unbridled. If nothing else, Peterik is a “Vehicle” who cannot be stopped.
For those out of the AOR loop (understandably so, as this is a metal outlet), Pride of Lions has been Peterik’s primary creative outlet for the better part of the last 20+ years. They are also, for all purposes, the spiritual successor to ’80s AOR gods, Survivor. I know I’ll ruffle some feathers with that statement, but that’s never stopped me in the past. Besides, between Jimi Jamison having tragically passed away in 2014, Dave Bickler being M.I.A., and Frankie Sullivan retiring the band altogether in 2020, who better to keep the torch lit than the man who co-founded Survivor and co-wrote all those hits? Of course, Peterik doesn’t go it alone. He’s joined by a powerhouse singer in Toby Hitchcock, as well as a dedicated cast of backing musicians who help bring his musical vision to life.
With all that being said, upon first listen, Unbridled does stand out from past Pride of Lions albums for a couple reasons. For one, I’m surprised just how many songs feature Peterik handling primary vocal duties. The average Pride of Lions outing is usually split 50-50 vocally between Peterik and Hitchcock, with Hitchcock sometimes grabbing the reins, resulting in a 75-25 split. Unbridled is a 75-25 album, but with Peterik in the driver’s seat (again with the puns). Perhaps this is because the lyrics on this album seem a bit more personal than usual, even by Pride of Lions standards. Sure, Jim Peterik has always looked back on “the good ol’ days”, even when he was a young man in his 30s, but he does so on Unbridled with the type of introspection that can only come with 75 years of life experience, with over 60 of those years having been spent writing, recording, and touring the globe.
There is also a strong emphasis on power ballads, making Unbridled one of the more calmer Pride of Lions albums from a musical perspective. It’s not like this band has ever specialized in flat-out traditional metal, but one could always rely on them to dish out that streetwise hard rock that made Survivor a household name circa Eye of the Tiger. Instead, the Survivor-isms on Unbridled draw more from the Vital Signs well: Smooth, adult contemporary ballads, albeit with a sophisticated twist. The strongest moments of the album happen to be its most urgent. Songs like “1,000 Long Goodbyes” and “Edge of Forever” see Peterik giving it his all, as if he DOESN’T have a half century worth of multi-platinum hits to his name. The opening title track is another highlight, shining with its uplifting spirit and Van Halen-esque guitar intro, the latter courtesy of Mike Aquino.
At this point, getting a new album featuring the singing, songwriting, and musical talents of Jim Peterik is the equivalent of hearing from an old friend: You know exactly what you’re going to get, and you’re going to walk away with a warm feeling in your heart. I sure know I have after listening to Unbridled. Power ballad overload aside, this is a most respectable AOR album, boasting premiere musicianship, genuine retro production, and most importantly, songs with a lasting impression: Something so many of today’s AOR crop lack. Take a lesson or two from Professor Peterik!
7 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: AOR
For fans of: Survivor, Foreigner, Styx
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