Artist: Teeth Of A Lion, Fangs Of A Lioness
Album: Willet
Year: 2010
Label: Willet
Website: http://www.willetonline.com/home.html
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/willetonline
Twitter: @willetonline
Buy: iTunes - Amazon - Store
Sounds Like: Blindside, Project 86, Chevelle, Switchfoot, Day Of Fire
Rating: 3/5 ♥♥♥

With the earthquake in Haiti, things really changed for Willet, making “Teeth Of A Lion, Fangs Of A Lioness” a most personal and emotional experience. Formed by brothers Jeremy Willet (vocals), Justin Willet (lead guitar, BGV’s), Jordan Willet (bass, BGV’s, keyboards) and Caleb Douglass (drums), they have produced this new album with the help of Drew Mazurek (Linkin Park, Ghoti Hook) as sound engineer. This fifth album combines heavy rock with melodic vocals and deep lyrics, receiving influences from Blindside, Project 86, Chevelle and Switchfoot.

“Island” was written as a love letter, that Jeremy did for his wife Kathleen for many years before he knew she would be a missionary in the island of Haiti. The guitar riffs are perfectly contrasted with the provocative voice of Jeremy reciting: “If you are on an island / I would swim the whole ocean just to say you’re not alone / If you are feeling lonely / I’ll lose everything, I’ll lose everything / Just to be with you”. Taking a strong social justice using the biblical passage in Joel 1, “Repent” warns about generational poverty. This song also has a political position in the oil wars: “Blood in the oil / Doesn’t change its color”. With powerful bass and guitars, “Thirsty” demonstrates our desire for God, his righteousness and salvation: “Let’s fill the air with salvation songs / Be an echo of His desperate love / We are thirsty for you, we are thirsty for you”. Jeremy’s wife ended up moving to Haiti in November 2009 as full-time missionary. She was there during the recent earthquake, but her and the 8 orphans she cared, they survived the disaster. The acoustic guitars and the sweet melody of this song shows the gratitude and security we have in God: “There is shelter underneath your wing / A fortress won’t be shaken / There is refuge in the tower, that is higher than I”. “Shelter” is the first single from the album, and you can also watch the official video in this link http://www.youtube.com/willetonline1. The savage “Machine” reminds us Day Of Fire, in a hymn by the abundante sin and hypocrisy of our society: “There’s a lock on the front door and way out the back / I think I’ll stare at the monster till the monster attacks / I see the black skies are coming down and the children are scared / I think I’ll break the machine while the city’s asleep”. Next, we ran into “Wailing”, a cry to God for restoration, simply because we have failed again and we need his forgiveness: “God can you hear me? / I’m back in the same place again / I know that last time; I said that I wouldn’t go back / But I’m here, and I need you again”. There’s a guitar instrumental that blends with strings and Jeremy’s anguished voice, who hopefully screams that it’s not too late to repent. The disc apparently has become calm and emotional, as we hear in “Hospital”, a song dedicated to a disappointed girl on her way home in the midst of loneliness. “Questions” delights us with intoxicating guitars and leaves us with the question posed in the lyric: “I’ve got a question for God / But I have a feeling; it’s the same one that He’s asking us”. The last two tracks are a sort of endless chorus. “Steps” leaves us with the thought: ““The more steps you take / The more that you leave behind / So who is following you now?”. The acoustic guitars give way to the instrumental ending that becomes mysterious, roaring. Douglass takes over the unusual atmosphere, while Justin plays with the guitar strings and Jeremy yells haunting melodies.

The band continues giving us infectious hard rock choruses, whispering but unshakable pop/rock ballads that plunge into our souls and write the love of God and His righteousness. Willet’s maturity increasingly noticeable, from the sweeping “Virus”, through the rumbling “Somewhere In Between” up to the honest and fierce “Teeth Of A Lion, Fangs Of A Lioness”, which begins a new and renewed stage for these guys.

Con el terremoto en Haití, las cosas realmente cambiaron para Willet, haciendo de “Teeth Of A Lion, Fangs Of A Lioness” un disco más personal y emocional. Conformado por los hermanos Jeremy Willet (vocalista), Justin Willet (primera guitarra, BGV’s), Jordan Willet (bajo, BGV’s, teclados) y Caleb Douglass (batería), ellos mismos han producido este nuevo álbum con la ayuda de Drew Mazurek (Linkin Park, Ghoti Hook) cómo ingeniero de sonido. Este quinto álbum combina heavy rock con voces melódicas y profundas letras, recibiendo influencias de Blindside, Project 86, Chevelle y Switchfoot.

“Island” se escribió como una carta de amor, que Jeremy hizo para su esposa Kathleen hace muchos años, antes de saber que ella sería misionera en la isla de Haití. Los riffs de guitarra se contrastan perfectamente, con la provocadora voz de Jeremy al recitar: “If you are on an island / I would swim the whole ocean just to say you’re not alone / If you are feeling lonely / I’ll lose everything, I’ll lose everything / Just to be with you”. Tomando una fuerte justicia social que usa el pasaje bíblico en Joel 1, “Repent” nos advierte sobre la pobreza generacional. Esta canción también tiene una posición política en las guerras por el petróleo: “Blood in the oil / Doesn’t change its color”. Con potentes bajos y guitarras de gran alcance, “Thirsty” demuestra nuestro anhelo por Dios, por su justicia y salvación: “Let’s fill the air with salvation songs / Be an echo of His desperate love / We are thirsty for you, we are thirsty for you”. La esposa de Jeremy terminó de mudarse a Haití en noviembre del 2009 como misionera a tiempo completo. Estuvo allí durante el reciente terremoto, pero ella y los 8 huérfanos que cuida sobrevivieron a la catástrofe. La guitarras acústicas y la dulce melodía de esta canción demuestran el agradecimiento y la seguridad que tenemos en Dios: “There is shelter underneath your wing / A fortress won’t be shaken / There is refuge in the tower, that is higher than I”. “Shelter” es el primer sencillo del álbum, y además puedes ver el video oficial en esta dirección www.youtube.com/willetonline1. La salvaje “Machine” nos recuerda a Day Of Fire, en un himno angustiado por el abundante pecado e hipocresía de nuestra sociedad: “There’s a lock on the front door and way out the back / I think I’ll stare at the monster till the monster attacks / I see the black skies are coming down and the children are scared / I think I’ll break the machine while the city’s asleep”. Seguidamente, nos topamos con “Wailing”, un clamor a Dios por restauración, porque simplemente hemos fallado otra vez y necesitamos su perdón: “God can you hear me? / I’m back in the same place again / I know that last time; I said that I wouldn’t go back / But I’m here, and I need you again”. Surge un instrumental de guitarra que se fusiona con los strings y la acongojada voz de Jeremy, que grita que no sea muy tarde para arrepentirnos. El disco, al parecer, se ha tornado calmado y emocional, como podemos oír en “Hospital”; una canción dedicada a una decepcionada chica que busca el camino a casa en medio de la soledad. “Questions” nos encanta con embriagantes guitarras y nos deja con la interrogante que se plantea en la lírica: “I’ve got a question for God / But I have a feeling; it’s the same one that He’s asking us”. Los dos últimos tracks son una especie de estribillo interminable. “Steps” nos deja con el pensamiento: “The more steps you take / The more that you leave behind / So who is following you now?”. Las guitarras acústicas abren paso al instrumental de desenlace que se torna misterioso, rugiente. Douglass se apodera de la insólita atmósfera, mientras que Justin juega con las cuerdas y Jeremy vocifera melodías cautivantes.

La banda continúa regalándonos coros contagioso de hard rock, susurrantes pero inquebrantables baladas pop/rock que se sumergen en nuestras almas y escriben el amor de Dios y su justicia. La madurez de Willet se nota cada vez más; desde la arrasadora “Virus”, pasando por el retumbante “Somewhere In Between” hasta llegar a la honesta y féroz “Teeth Of A Lion, Fangs Of A Lioness” que inicia una nueva y renovada etapa para estos muchachos.