Sometime in July of 2020, I got a phone call from Mike O’Leary. He wanted to personally let me know that he had left the band he was in. Mike knew I was a huge fan and supporter of said band. I would not be Ray Cobra if I did not ask him what was next. He told me he was still going to make music. A few months later in October, he dropped his first single,” Exhausted” which quickly became an anthem for myself and many others. Sometime in the next year, his project became a full band when he added Colin Cavanaugh on guitar, Alex Kessis on bass, Landen Gruszewski on guitar, and Steve Hatmaker on drums. Steve would later depart due to other band commitments. Jake Fournier replaced him. When he told me the lineup, my first thought was this band was going to be amazing. They are a supergroup of sorts, the Avengers, Voltron, and I would even say Mike is Thanos and they are the infinity stones. He went out and found some of this city’s best musicians. And it shows. This is their 3rd release in as many years, but it is their first full-length.

A Tiger Made of Lightning is a post-hardcore band from Columbus, OH that is releasing their S/T debut this Friday. I will be the first to tell you this album is outstanding from start to finish. It all starts with the production done by Jacob Mooney, who has become A Columbus legend in his right, to the articulate songwriting of Mike O’Leary to the expert musicianship of the band. There are no missteps on this release.

A Tiger Made of Lightning starts with the banger, “Don’t Let the Bastards Break You Down.” I like this as an opening number. It lets you know right away what you are in for. The energy here is next level. Like most ATMOL songs, the message is what stands out here. Just be the best you that you can and do not take crap from anyone. It is also a reworking of an older song. I also like that it has a little Comeback Kid feel to it. “I Feel Like You’re Just Here for the Zipline” is another track that stands out. It has a classic early to mid-2000s post-hardcore sound that I am all about it. I am glad that there are bands like ATMOL that are making music influenced by bands from that era. It is nice to see. It is almost like we are reliving that era. Next up is “Big Dumb Idiot”, this is one that people are going to love and it is going to go over well live. One of my favorite tracks is “No Feeling.” This is a pleasant little instrumental interlude. This track is very calming, A break from the chaos. It goes along with ATMOL’s whole message of taking care of yourself. There are four chaotic songs beforehand, and then this hits. The calmness continues with “I’m Not Even Supposed to Be Here Today”, a line from one of my favorite movies, Clerks. Because of that, it was the first song I listened to. This track is new territory for ATMOL, it is very shoegazy and they nail it. I would not mind them exploring this sound more. While I reviewed “The Time Spent” a few months back in a singles roundup, I felt the need to mention it here, as it is one of the most beautiful love songs I have ever heard. Sometimes we forget that what matters is just spending time with our loved ones. It can be as simple as walking around Target and then going to a bookstore. It does not matter, it is about the time spent.

As I mentioned above this album is outstanding from start to finish. I think it is going to resonate with a lot of people. I am excited to hear them live this Saturday at their release show. If you are in the Columbus area this Saturday, swing by the ole Pizza Dungeon. It is going to be a night to remember.

Follow the band on Instagram.