Lionsheart

B

ritish band Lionsheart (not to be confused with "Lionsheart" - note the 's') was formed in New Forest, Hampshire, UK in 1990 by twin guitarists Mark and Steve Owers, formerly of Fury and Touche. Lionsheart with the addition of drummer Anthony Christmas and keyboardist Graham Collett, then asked Steve Grimmett to join the band as they admired his vocal talents. They recorded their first album, Lionsheart in 1992. However, it wasn't very long after before the twins quit the band (a long legal battle ensued where the Owers brothers were successful in winning their case). Their sudden departure left the The Lillian Axe British/European tour, necessitated the recruitment of guitarists Nick Burr and Zakk Bajjon.

Lionsheart received success in Japan on their first album, and this success continued on their follow-up, Pride in Tact (1994), selling over 100,000 copies in Japan, but the band received a cold response from the British press and a lukewarm reaction from British rock fans. In spite of this, the band garnered a successful tour in 1995 with labelmates Tyketto. Anthony Christmas was replaced with Michael O'Brien.

Their third effort, Under Fire (1998), took three years to emerge while legal battles with the band's record label waged on. When finally released in 1998, the album featured Grimmett and Tyketto guitarist Brooke St. James, along with Graham Collett and O'Brien. The album failed to sell well.