One Day As A Lion EP : One Day As A Lion : Review : Rolling Stone

Everyone who bet that Axl Rose would finish Chinese Democracy before Zack de la Rocha released a solo album — pay up. This EP — a collaboration between de la Rocha and ex-Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore — will have to do for now. Along with the recent string of Rage-reunion gigs, this set shows the rapper-activist stepping back into the arena, and dude's on fire. One Day are an exercise in simplicity: Theodore's prog-rock pummeling is compressed into massive funk beats, while de la Rocha's keyboards conjure brute bass lines and heavy-metal guitar chords. De la Rocha's vocals sound both familiar and reimagined; his raps are more impressionistic than usual — check out the political firestorming on "Wild International." And his singing is a revelation, especially the feral, Perry Farrell-style howling on "Last Letter": "I'm Chicano soprano, high off my pitch ammo," he spits on the dancehall-flavored "If You Fear Dying." It's clearly the sound of a man who still lives to agitate over beats.

WILL HERMES

(Posted: Aug 21, 2008)

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Not Rated

After listening to Miley Cyrus' and the Jonas Brothers new albums, this was a breath of fresh air and really DOES deserve four stars. The band may be no more, but the rage is still as powerful and sharp as ever. And the music is a fantastic backdrop for it.

Aug 14, 2008 10:02:08

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