He was left as last man standing for the second time after the firing of singer Joseph Michael led to a chain reaction that saw guitarists Jake Dreyer and Will Warner and drummer Giovanni Durst all resigning.

Leon vowed he'd carry on making music and that would be the best form of "revenge" - and Marathon Of Dreams is the first act of that movement. Leon plays guitars and bass and delivers lead vocals while drummer Devin Lebsack and Falling In Reverse guitarist Jacky Vincent also appear. It was mixed by Mudrock and the sketch artwork comes from former Iron Maiden illustrator Derek Riggs.

Leon tells Classic Rock: "As I sat in London in early October of 2013 after having to deal with the unexpected end of our tour, I was pretty deflated. I sat in my friend's flat in Chiswick - then one morning I started jamming on my bass and the riff came out of me.

"I finished the lyrics in 20 minutes on the plane home. They signify digging deep for inspiration, and looking with positive fire to the future. Through adversity I found inspiration; I feel I turned a corner and gained the confidence I need."