Mandy Lion

Take Rob Zombie's gutteral vocals, mix in a leather trenchcoat, turbo charged sexuality, a bitchin' motorcycle, long coal black hair, a Bret Michaels leather cowboy hat, and a slight German accent and what you get is one of metals best and most unsung lead singers, Mandy Lion. What can I say about Mandy Lion? Hmm....how about he's one of the best things to come out of Germany since Oktobefest. Not to mention he's a great guy. He LOVES; dogs, he's a dog breeder (see here for a picture of his own dog), martial arts, and metal. When he's not makin' great music, he spends his time tryin' to dispell false rumors about the statistics of dog attacks.

Lion has been in the American music scene since 1986 when he immigrated (legally) from Germany, after havin' a few successful bands there. He arrived here when glam metal and bands like Poison, Whitesnake, Van Halen, Mötley Crüe, and Warrant where toppin' the charts. Once settled in L.A., he began formin' a new band which wouldn't be the oh-so popular glam metal, but what was more himself, one of the first American gothic metal bands, named World War III (WWIII). While with WWIII Lion created a new vocal style, extreme power vocal, which others have mimmicked and made even more popular.

In his 22 years in the American music scene Lion has recorded four albums, three with bands, one solo, and appeared on the George Lynch album Sacred Groove. A look at the list of artists he's performed with reads like a who's who of metal music. Although his career has spanned three decades three stints of WWIII, one of Wicked Alliance, and even one as a solo artist and he's only released four albums, I would say that Lion is an artists that EVERY metal fan MUST listen too, and see perform live, though I never have just watch his video for his cover of the song "Kiss" (link provided below) and you'll know what I'm talkin' about. I give Mandy Lion 4 1/2 leather clad stars out of five.

Enjoy,
Crash Underride

Official YouTube channel
Mandy Lion and WWIII at MySpace
Wikipedia page
Cover of the Prince song "Kiss".