This album didn't feel like Miss May I. Miss May I never excelled in the field of metal-core, but at least they had notable moments in their careers. Rise of the Lion makes you forget all about those moments, because this isn't Miss May I.
At Heart wasn't the greatest metal-core album but at least Miss May I was establishing a sound and getting their feet off the ground. That album also had some decent moments. Rise of the Lion is exactly what metal-core shouldn't be. Overall, the riffs are boring, there is nothing dynamic about the record at all, and vocally cringe worthy.
The album first introduces us to a track "Refuse to Believe" which begins on the right foot but gets drown out by Levi Benton's shot voice. The guitar sequence soon gets boring fast because barely anything changes within the song making listeners feel like they're listening to heavy radio rock.
When Miss May I isn't making their own boring sound, they're trying to sound like other bands. Tracks like "End of Me", "Stereos", "Saints, Sinner, and Greats", and "Burn My Pages" just sound like an As I Lay Dying song. In a lot of this album their seems to be a lot of boring and practically copied material.
There really isn't worth while about this album. This has just been one more step backward for the band we know as Miss May I.
6/10
Go listen to it yourself. Available on iTunes now!