The new single from Miss May I’s Rise of the Lion album, “Hero With No Name,” is a powerful tribute to America’s armed forces. The metalcore song is about a soldier’s dedication to serving his or her country and their willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice, which is spelled out with such lyrics as “Show me a fight ’cause I’m ready to die/I hope you’re ready for my annihilation.” Coupled with bullet-like guitar riffs and rapid-fire drums, the track is a vehement battle cry that would speed up the adrenaline of anyone on the verge of confronting enemy forces.
“We have met many soldiers, even overseas at our shows, that have told us amazing heroic stories of them on patrol,” Miss May I vocalist Levi Benton wrote in an email to Billboard about “Hero With No Name.” “All of them have told us they listen to us every day on patrol and it helps the days go by faster and get them pumped up for any action. For someone to tell us that it takes our breath away, because we are sitting in green rooms and fancy buses while they are out risking their lives! The least we could do was give them an anthem and pay our respects.”
Since the tune was specifically written in honor of military personnel, Miss May I decided to also showcase those people in the song’s video. The Ohio group took the term “crowd funding” literally when it came to finding soldiers: During the 2014 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, Benton announced the group was seeking service people for a video and asked those in the audience who were interested to visit the band’s merchandise booth.
When asked about the feedback the band has gotten from service members and fans about the song, Benton wrote, “We have had soldiers emotionally respond to us and tell us how much they enjoyed the dedication. Live we like to give a moment for them and ask the crowd to buy a beer for them if you see them in the crowd. We want them to know we respect what they do to the fullest.”
