Release Date: July 22, 2008

Label: ANTI-

Tracks: 5

Rating: 4

One Day as a Lion is a five-track introductory sampler for the musical duo sporting the same name as the album, and this 20-minute record features two artists who have made a name for themselves within the music world from their respective headlining bands: Rage Against the Machine and The Mars Volta.

While Jon Theodore is equated mostly with the work he has done with the latter band (which he split from after their 2006 album), the most recognizable figure on One Day as a Lion is undoubtedly Zack de la Rocha, the voice and major character behind the seminal band Rage Against the Machine.

With Rage Against the Machine on hiatus for a few disappointing years, they have begun to write, record, and tour again; however, the front man has found another creative outlet in his duet career with Theodore and the product is something akin to Rage but with an obvious Mars Volta influence.

In my opinion, de la Rocha is the musician who sticks out on One Day as a Lion and who the fans actually want to hear from most, because of his incredibly inspiring funk background.

One Day as a Lion is an ode to the famed caption photographed by George Rodriguez in 1970, ?It’s better to live one day as a lion than a thousand years as a lamb.?

The best thing about this album is that the first impression it gives is that of a Rage record. After a mere few minutes, however, listeners are bound to be disappointed. This is, surprisingly, not a record or a band for hardcore Rage or Mars Volta fans, and unfortunately it becomes difficult to judge One Day as a Lion after the precedent of the original two bands.

De la Rocha takes keyboards as well as vocals on the record while Theodore sticks to his expert drumming. The essential soul of One Day as a Lion is a combination of political activist edge, the renowned rap style of de la Rocha, and a musical background that is regrettably dull and limp.

Lyrically speaking, these five songs are full of life, vigour, and inspiration. Coupled with a mediocre melody, however, neither lyrical prowess nor even the skill of both musicians are enough to cut it. One Day as a Lion will most likely only leave its listeners craving a full-fledged Rage song instead of a full-length album as the musicians would have hoped.