Lions (band) for Allmusic, Eduardo Rivadavia states that Lions "boldly attempts to straddle the hard rock decades" making comparisons to the bands ZZ Top, Queens of the Stone Age, Nebula and Fu Manchu. He goes on to state that while "there's definite room for improvement" the EP "is a very promising first step [for the band]." The band soon gained record label attention from Rock Ridge Music and Roadrunner Records. Though Roadrunner helped to fund the recording of their debut album, they decided against signing the band. The band performed at SXSW '07, which led to the song "Metal Heavy Lady," from
Nashville Tribute Band Deere and Truman co-produced a second Nashville Tribute album released in 2007 called "Trek: A Nashville Tribute To The Pioneers". The album covered the Mormon pioneer era of LDS history. The album won the 2007 Pearl Award for Group Recording Artist Of The Year (Jason Deere, The Nashville Tribute Band) as well as the 2008 Pearl Award for Inspirational Instrumental Recording Of The Year ("My People"/"Come, Come Ye Saints"). Years of touring the world with the Nashville Tribute Band, along with Deere and Truman's own experience serving as missionaries for LDS Church, led to the writing and production of the