Dizmas
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Dizmas Dizmas is a fun band, and their first major label release stays true to who they are and what they do best. I was hesitant to pick this album up at first, since half of it is re-released songs from their...
The Voice
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Adriana Once again, Bill Myers has taken a scientific "what if" and used it to demonstrate spiritual truth. As multiple factions seek the recorded Voice of God- some to experience it, others to unleash it, and...
On the Brink of It All
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Ever Stays Red On the Brink of It All kicks off with a short instrumental that leads perfectly into a title track- an energetic number that begs to be played at top volume and is pregnant with the hope of Heaven! This...
This album is popular for a reason! | Posted July-24-2007
Red has earned all of the praise they have received for End of Silence. A refreshing approach to hard rock, using keys to artfully enhance vibrant guitar rock and spectacular vocals. From the breakout hti Breathe Into Me and it's chart-topping follow-ups, Already Over and Break Me Down, it is easy to see that Red will be a major name in Christian rock for years to come. While Pieces and the alternate recording of Already Over display Red's ability to slow down and still produce amazing music. My only regret upon buying this cd was that I didn't buy it sooner!
Anthemic rock, powerful vocals! | Posted July-24-2007
High Flight Society delivers a sound that is sure to capture the rock radio audience. Declaration, Time Is Running Out, and Escaping, highlight the stamina of the entire album. This is a cd that is easy to leave in the player for a week straight without skipping any tracks, and as singles emerge, expect these songs to climb rock charts and roost in top spots for awhile. While High Flight Society offers a sound that is far from new, they take what has already been done and do it much better than most of their predecessors.
Wow! | Posted July-24-2007
I was hooked the first time I heard Madmen, and marked my calendar for the release of this album. Upon listening to the full album, it wasn't quite the sound I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised nonetheless. Wavorly modernizes the 80's mainstream alternative style (Midnight Oil, Depeche Mode) with a success that very few bands have matched in recent years. This is most notable on Part One, Forgive and Forget, and Tale of the Dragon's Defeat. Time I Understood, Stay With Me, and Endless Day are solid radio-hit contenders, and the short instrumentals inerwoven throughout the album are fresh and different. The only downside is that Wavorly, more often than not, misses the mark when they slow it down- although Praise and Adore shows promise in this area. All in all, a great album from a band that has the talent to produce many more!
Keep an eye on The Classic Crime! | Posted July-24-2007
For a new band to produce an album this strong right out of the gate says alot, and that is exactly what Albatross is. The Fight is the perfect lead track, with a guitar hook that grabs ther listener instantly and carries that momentum throughout the song. Warrior Poet, and We All Look Elsewhere continue in this vein, while keeping the screming far from the point of excess. And The Classic Crime displays their multi-dimensional talents by using catchy riffs to carry The Coldest Heart, Bitter Uprising, and All the Memories, while slowing into introspective moments on Headlights and Who Needs Air. This is a complete album from a complete band.
Can I go higher than five? | Posted July-24-2007
Count my screen name as the sixth star for this album! Released in 1995 shortly before The Prayer Chain disbanded, Mercury is easily the band's masterpiece, epitomizing everything The Prayer Chain is (including the most misunderstood artists this side of Steve Taylor). From the opening of the deep echoing bass of Humb, which accompanies a short excerpt of Psalm 136, Mercury dares to be different. Musically impossible to pigeonhole, the slow bass sets the mood of the entire album, which artisticly blends tribal rhythms, eastern melodies, cavernous vocals, and careful use of distortion to create what can only be described as an epic journey. Lyrically, The Prayer Chain marries deep with subtle to complete this journey across the angst of Waterdogs and the searching of Creole, which lead into the beautifully introspective 9 minute pinnacle, Sky High, a song that in itself is a microcosm of the entire Mercury experience. From there, the title track takes a rhythmic, catchy look at apathy whcih sinks into remorse and temptation across the back half of the album before ending on the brilliant redemptive Sun Stoned. If you like alternative music, you will want to track this one down!
Solid, but not spectacular | Posted July-24-2007
While containing a few standouts such as the title track, Regret, and Hole In My Hand, surrounded by reasonably strong songs, Cut and Move lacks the cohesive feel of an album, and comes off as more of a collection of songs. Not bad songs- there isn't a track on this cd that I would skip- but much of the cd fails to live up to what it could be. Songs such as Love, Wake Me, and Reborn are full of promise, but just don't quite make full use of their potential energy, and don't live up to their live renditions. Day of Fire is at their best when they are raw, and this album went through a bit too much refinement to represent their sound as fully as it could have.
A must-have for every rock fan! | Posted July-24-2007
Day of Fire's self-titled debut is one of the most solid rookie albums ever. With iconic songs such as Detainer and the instant classic Cornerstone, Day of Fire made their mark. Through the Fire, I Am the Door, and To Fly are fun, energetic songs that appeal to the hard rock purist, while Rain Song, Fade Away, Jacob's Dream and the aforementioned Cornerstone are amazing displays of grunge at its best. This album is 100% upside!
Making a name for themselves! | Posted July-17-2007
This is an incredibly strong album with almost no filler. While they seem a bit slow and "pop" sounding, there is a subtle energy underneath this album that just begs to be released, best noted on Fall Down, Demons and Angels, and All Along. The inspiration of Be Still is simply indescribable- no words could do justice to the quality of this song, and the power of its meaning. We Are Not Alone is rounded out nicely by the rock-radio worthy Don't Let it Go, the worship worthy I Give You Me, and plenty in between. Dinged a half-star only because the album sounds a bit over-produced, and doesn't fully capture the energy and passion that it could in a more natural state.
Nothing short of amazing! | Posted July-17-2007
Easily Switchfoot's best effort, possibly one of the best albums released this decade. What appears on the surface to be a depressing effort gives way to incredible hope and promise on a deeper listen. Nothing is sounds picks up the mood and feel of the closing track of The Beautiful Letdown, and carries it through this entire album. Lyrically, songs such as Daisy, Happy is a Yuppie Word, and Golden search for- and find- the best in situations where only despair is easy to see. And the seemingly downward mood of The Blues sets the stage perfectly for the eternal hope of The Setting Sun. Musically, this album marks the coming of age of Switchfoot. With the simplicity of The Blues, the raw freshness of Happy is a Yuppie Word, and the fun energy of Stars and We Are One, the band has married the feel of the music to the mood of the songs with 100% accuracy.
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