LEO – Nightmares

Leo is a four-man Modern Rock band that is based in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and the 14-song, 54-minute album Nightmares is their full-length debut. The line-up on this disc consists of Ian Eddy, vocals and guitars; Michael Roberts, guitars; Rek Mohr, bass; and Mark Grabowski, drums. Eddy and Roberts also co-produced the album.

Befitting a Modern Rock act, Leo makes plenty of noise (tuneful mid-tempo noise, mind you), with lots of loud guitars making it sound like they’re angry about something. But, if you pay close attention to the lyrics (or just read them in the CD booklet), you’ll see that these guys are sensitive Rockers who are in touch with their feelings… and yours. With their wistful, melancholy songs of betrayal and love gone wrong, Leo is a Modern Rock band many women will love.

Metalheadz, you can hit the “Back” button on your browser now, assuming you haven’t already; Leo’s Nightmares is not the album for you.

Still, that doesn’t mean Nightmares is a bad album; it’s just not a very heavy one. This disc does have its musical moments spread across it, though: the riffs are mostly respectable, Roberts’ vocals are strong, and there are plenty of catchy vocal harmonies and melodies. If you like Modern Rock, you’ll probably get some some enjoyment out of Nightmares, since it’s fairly good at what it does.

Of the 14 tracks on Nightmares (which includes a short intro), the better ones come near the end with songs like “Lullaby” and “Chemical Cell” making the best impressions: they’re generally catchy and are strong musically, with “Chemical Cell” probably being the best tune here with its darker atmosphere and interesting guitar work and vocals. “Lake” and “Broken Record” are fairly good songs too. “Sommerset” and “Gasoline” are the obligatory ballads, complete with gently-strummed acoustic guitars, sensitive vocals, and a bit of buzzing guitars in the background trying their best to cut through the treacle. These two “crying towel” tracks aren’t bad by any stretch, but if you have diabetes you might want to pass them by.

Nightmares closes with the title track, and it too starts off in ballad-like fashion, although it does get heavier towards the end. Eddy’s vocals manage to keep you listening.

Leo managed to put out a respectable disc of Modern Rock with Nightmares; it’s mostly tuneful and fairly satisfying for fans of this type of music, even though it ultimately doesn’t do quite enough to stand out in a crowded field.