The specter of Rage Against the Machine front man Zack de la Rocha and former Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore, collectively known as One Day As a Lion, is haunting the music industry. The co-conspirators' self-titled debut EP roars loudly as both a five-track political platform and a musical manifesto—and, expectedly, it's also a desperate sonic assault that's as revolutionary in sound as it is in words. In “One Day As a Lion,” Theodore's masterly drumming transcends monotonous hip-hop beats while de la Rocha's heavily distorted keyboard rhythms lay the foundation for his lyrical craftsmanship. Their musical dialogue is an innovative amelioration in the realm of rap/rock hybrids.
One Day As a Lion provides de la Rocha an updated platform for political expression. Few targets escape his incendiary-as-ever diatribes, as evidenced by the duo's first single, “Wild International.” In the song, de la Rocha's second verse cleverly denounces right-wing AM stations as mouthpieces for bigotry while simultaneously criticizing music-radio playlists that promote mindless consumerism. The more uptempo “Last Letter” has de la Rocha substituting his indignant flow for urgent singing. Theodore brings the song to a crescendo, as de la Rocha provocatively suggests, “I'm walking the beltway/And there's something I've got to do.”
It's unknown if more One Day As a Lion recordings will be forthcoming, but should there be more “days” than “one,” the musical masses are ready for de la Rocha's refined lyrical sermons.
Gabriel San Román is from Anacrime. He’s a journalist, subversive historian and the tallest Mexican in OC. He also once stood falsely accused of writing articles on Turkish politics in exchange for free food from DönerG’s!