Daniel Lioneye

Finnish heavy metal outfit Daniel Lioneye originated as a side project assembled by musicians from the noted hard rock ensemble H.I.M. In 2001 the lineup came together with H.I.M. guitarist Mikko Viljami "Linde" Lindström—performing under the Daniel Lioneye moniker—handling vocals and guitar, Mikko Heinrik Julius "Migé" Paananen on bass, Ville Hermanni Valo behind the drums, Kai "Hiili" Hiilesmaa on keyboards, and Ike overseeing sound effects. Their debut release, The King of Rock'n Roll, surfaced that same year and delivered sleazy hard rock. Following nearly ten years of silence, Linde and Migé reconvened to produce the follow-up, Vol. II, issued in 2010 on The End Records. On this occasion they were supported by H.I.M. keyboardist Janne "Burton" Puurtinen and Enochian Crescent drummer Black Vomit Bolton, resulting in a far darker and more aggressive sound that took the form of an industrialized black metal experiment. Subsequent road work alongside Cradle of Filth was followed by another eight-year pause, during which H.I.M. put out the albums Screamworks and Tears on Tape. The project resurfaced in 2016 with Vol. III, tracked by Linde, Migé, Burton, and newly added drummer Seppo Tarvainen. Once again appearing via The End Records, the record moderated the intensity found on its predecessor, offering instead an even mixture of the hard rock character from the first album and select orchestral metal flourishes reminiscent of the second.