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Review by Chuck "Stratarc" Kirby.
North Carolina
U.S.A.

In recent years we have seen a resurgence of hard rock and metal bands from the glory days of the '70's and '80's while only a few great bands from that era have survived and thrive to this day without interruption. 

I am always on the lookout for bands that still hold true to the formats of classic metal and hard rock with aggressive guitar attack, blistering solos and driving tempos. Introduce Lies of Smiles into the mix and you have the formula perfected with all that you would want and more. These lads are no upstarts and have created an intense album of metal on a level that will stand next to bands like Iron Maiden and an old favorite of mine, Tygers of Pan Tang. Thanks to Ian "Gilly" Gillson who got this band going and handles guitar,bass  & vocal duties among many other things, this album is entitled Truth, Lies and Damnation and was two years in the making and a real testament to the perseverance of Ian and his bandmates. 

Add in the guitar work of Dave Little, a man that is a veteran Flying V guitar ace that plays sledgehammer riffs as well as knife edged solos that flow, slice, and explode like a machine gun. In the '80's, Dave began making a name for himself with Axis and then the Pauline Gillan Band and thankfully has kept up his chops to this day and can put a few other famous Flying V players to shame, who will remain unnamed. 

Fred Purser produces on this one and adds some guitar work as well and since Fred is a veteran producer and former member of Tygers of Pan Tang, the sound of this album is professional all the way. 

You want to hear the details about the music itself, so let's explore it without further ado. 

The album kicks off with the red hot rocker, Line of Fire. This is without a doubt in your face metal in the classic vein and sets the tone for what is to come and contains the first of numerous melodic, yet ripping solos. It's  clean and precise and the mix is outstanding. Gilly's vocals are strong and every instrument cuts through clearly. 

The next track is New World Order which is a steady rocker that builds in intensity to the point of another inspiring solo  and finishes with the first hint of an Iron Maiden influence, some great harmonized lines reminiscent of the Piece of Mind era. 

Next is Judas, a heavy rocker that has a sledgehammer riff  during the chorus and a solo in the middle that cuts through like a knife with a haunting melody and a speedy run. The track closes with Gilly growling "You're nothing but a Judas" as the guitars hammer away relentlessly to the end. 

Next is a change of pace, but not a mellow change! Sins of the Fathers begins quietly but only for a moment until it launches into a crushing riff that only becomes more menacing as the song progresses. A different approach this time to the solo, turning down the intensity only to lead back into the piledriving riff that started us off. Gilly's vocals in this one are especially aggressive and do well to convey his message. 

Now we have yet another change of pace, In My Dreams and it reminds me of some of the older Judas Priest material that starts calmly with a clean guitar and Gilly's vocals and builds steadily to a beautifully crafted melodic solo by Dave and then finishes majestically by ending as calmly as it began. 

Now it's time to get back to business with another heavy rocker called Believe Me. Solid rocking all the way through with a blistering solo by Dave ala Michael Schenker, only better! 

We now come to My Life, another mid tempo rocker that seems to just fall short of the level of performance we have heard so far. 

Tomorrow Never Comes is the next one and the Maiden-esque guitar harmonies put a smile on my face as it then launches into another great solo which leads back into the original theme to close the song out. 

Perfect World is next in line and it's a good steady rocker with an outstanding solo that has an exotic touch to it and shows another aspect to to Daves' repertoire not seen on previous tracks. 

I'm eager to hear what Gilly and Dave will do on the final three tracks. No disappointment as the band cranks it into high gear again on I Wanna Rock. This track is just good foot stompin' metal from start to finish with aggressive guitar  and great vocals by Gilly. 

The next to last track is titled Summertime and there is no let up by the lads in the metal department. I really like Gilly's vocal melodies on this one that perfectly compliment the crunching riffs until another classic solo that ends in a flurry of notes. 

Now we come to the final track entitled I Am and I wonder what I'll be treated to. Wow! I'm hit by a merciless onslaught of bone crushing riffs as Gilly nearly shouts like a madman over the increasing intensity of guitars, bass and drums that culminates in a mind blowing solo.. They finish strong with two repetitions of the chorus and it closes with monstrous riffing unleashed with a ferocity not heard on previous tracks. I must say that this track is my favorite on the album. If the band continues in this vein on their next release, then fans of classic metal everywhere will stand and shout. 

A few final observations. Hats off to Jeff Armstrong for some awesome drumming on every track. And not to forget the lyrics here. Without giving too much away, it seems to me that Gilly is a very spiritual man that has taken care on this album to write very thought provoking and challenging lyrics that explore many themes of the human condition and how man cannot seem to contribute in a positive way in his time in this world without wisdom and a helping hand from the great God above. These are not your typical heavy metal lyrics and you might take the time to read them and let them sink in. 

I think it's fabulous that these chaps have done what they have on a limited budget and they should be recognized for it widely among classic metal fans and I hope this album sends them on their way to bigger and better things. They deserve it, they have worked for it. 

Chuck "Stratarc" Kirby
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