Danko Jones - Leo Rising
- Samuel Stevens
- Nov 18, 2025
- 3 min read
For nearly three decades, Danko Jones have made one promise and kept it without fail: rock ’n’ roll isn’t dead as long as they’re breathing fire into it. With their twelfth studio album, Leo Rising, Toronto’s tireless power trio delivers yet another adrenaline-shot reminder of exactly why they remain one of the most dependable, dynamic, and downright electrifying bands on the planet. Produced once again by longtime collaborator Eric Ratz, the record crackles with urgency, swagger, and the kind of tight, muscular interplay that only a road-worn, battle-tested band can conjure into existence.
From the moment the needle drops, Leo Rising roars to life. The infectious opening number “What You Need” is a no-frills, all-thrills blast of high-octane rock, built on bulldozing riffs and Danko’s unmistakable snarl. The band wastes no time in reaffirming what fans already know: their formula works because they execute it better than anyone else. The early singles—the beer-soaked party anthem “Everyday Is Saturday Night” and the crowd-pleasing “What You Need”—set the tone for a record that’s all gas and absolutely no brakes.
The album’s most buzzed-about moment arrives with the single “Diamond in the Rough,” a stadium-sized homage to classic KISS that summons every ounce of ’70s arena-rock bravado. Ex-Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman’s guest guitar solo is pure fireworks, slicing through the track with effortless virtuosity while never overshadowing the band’s signature tough-as-nails grit. It’s the kind of collaboration that feels both unexpected and entirely natural—a meeting point between guitar-hero flash and Danko’s no-nonsense, boots-to-the-floor ethos.
Elsewhere, the band flex their trademark mix of swagger, humour, and hard rock heaviness. No Danko record exists without a track like “Hot Fox” that leans fully into Danko’s cocky, priapic charisma, all strutting riffs and wink-and-a-grin attitude. “It’s A Celebration” does exactly what the title suggests, exploding with big hooks and an infectious chorus—a song destined for sweaty club sing-alongs. Tracks like “I Love It Louder” and “I’m Going Blind” help bolster the beginning of the album with punchy, airtight arrangements that keep the momentum blazing.
Despite another geographically scattered recording process—John Calabrese tracking bass from Finland, Rich Knox flying into Toronto to track his drums, and Danko laying down guitars and vocals with Ratz—the chemistry is unmistakable. If anything, Leo Rising proves that distance can’t dull the instinctive synchronicity that makes these three musicians so lethal together. The performances are lean, locked-in, and laser-focused; Ratz’s production amplifies everything to a molten-hot shine without sacrificing the band’s raw edges, sounding like the band tracked every track live in the studio.
One of Leo Rising’s greatest strengths is how genuinely uplifting it feels. Danko’s stated devotion to the cycle—recording, touring, writing, repeat—bleeds through all eleven tracks. There’s joy here, not complacency; hunger, not habit. The album embraces everything that has kept the band thriving since 1996: big riffs, bigger choruses, and a complete refusal to overthink what rock ’n’ roll should be when it’s done right.
The back stretch of Leo Rising features some of the band’s most infectious hooks in years. “Pretty Stuff” and “Gotta Let It Go” are energized, shaped with simplicity, and were without a doubt tailor-made for the stage, while “I Can’t Stop” hits with the relentless, pulse-pounding insistence of a band still addicted to momentum. The album's closing cut “Too Slick For Love” leaves the listener with one last jolt of sly charm and revved-up swagger—the final exclamation point on a record built to be played loud, preferably with the windows down and the speedometer creeping upward.
Leo Rising isn’t a reinvention—it’s a reaffirmation. It's a fiery, unfiltered, arena-ready testament to a band that has never stopped giving 110% whenever or wherever. Danko Jones continues to embody everything great about power-trio rock: precision, power, personality, and pure, unrelenting fun. At album twelve, they’re not only still in the fight—they’re swinging harder than ever. This is rock ’n’ roll that sweats, grins, and hits like a jackhammer. And it’s glorious.
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