Mountain In the Sky by Vision
Another obscure classic resurrected by Born Twice Records. Vision is probably best known to some as the band that had two members of Lynyrd Skynyrd after they survived the infamous plane crash and converted to Christianity. Vision is usually labeled as Southern rock. While there is some southern rock in there, there is also a progressive side to many of the songs. It kind of all mixes together in some places. The first song on the album is good example of this mixture. They don’t really ever get more progressive or more southern than this song for the whole disc. This album was also obviously recorded on a tight budget. The digital processes used to clean up the sound are slightly obvious in some places. Sometimes you think there is a weird buzz in the background, but it turns out to be the guitars way back in the mix. With an indie album this old, this isn’t a complaint as much as an observation. Several of these songs were re-recorded on the self-titled follow-up, where they sound a bit beefier, fuller, and even rawer than here.
Vision (reissue) by Vision
This is the second album by Vision – first on a label. This album is a little less progressive and a little less southern than Mountains in the Sky. Being in the studio gives this a beefier, heavier sound than their first album, even though the songs are probably more pop-oriented. Whereas fans of progressive rock might have found something to like in the independent release, they might not find as much here. This is a well-written and performed album. Readers of our magazine that also like mainstream rock with a bit of progressive edge will like this. If you are looking for another Jimmy Hotz or even Kansas, you might want to look elsewhere.
They Have Pulled Down Deep Heaven On Their Heads by Voice Of The Mysterons
Remember Blaster The Rocket Man (Boy)? Hands down one of the Punkest things to hit the Christian market since Scaterd Few! Vocalist DanielPeterson (Aka Oto Bott) has another band that is just as amazing! This band is the real deal, that controlled chaos that makes real Punk Rock so wonderful. Fans of such creative genius such as NoMeansNo, Dead Kennedys, and Scaterd Few will love this album. Deep thought provoking lyrics that paint a picture with the dark insanity of the music. This album has a steady flow, should be listened to as a whole. It’s really hard to pick a few stand out songs because they all stand out. Crazy song titles I can’t stress enough that this is REAL PUNK ROCK!
Inner Sanctum by Grave Robber
I am a huge fan of Horror Punk! The Misfits are easily in my top 20 all time greatest bands list, with both Danzig and Michale Graves on vocals, I like ’em both the same. I find it to be one of the last true Punk Rock Scenes out there, very DIY, core fans, small venues, never really broke mainstream. Some of the best singers I’ve ever heard play Horror Punk, give Nim Vind a listen, or Blitzkid and you’ll hear for yourself. As with most scenes there is a lot of crap to sort through, so when I heard there was a Christian Horror Punk band I had to hear it. Only two other bands came to mind in the Christian market to do this the amazing Blaster The Rocket Man (or Boy), and the Deadlines first album that was a weak attempt. Grave Robber can hold there ownwith the best of the genre. Their debut, “Be Afraid” is a fantastic album full of crooning vocals and a ton of sing along chorus’. “InnerSanctum” picks up where the debut leaves off with bigger production and maturer song writing. ‘Fear No Evil’ is the standout track for me, it’s classic, no doubt about it. ‘Tell Tale Heart’ is a Boo-Wop of a good time, nice harmonies throughout. ‘Valley Of Dry Bones’ has an 80’s metal feel to it, very different than their other material, still good. ‘Altered States’ has a bunch of Wo-o’s to get a crowd goingcrazy, would love to see these guys live in full Gory! This band is fun, what more does one need?
Begin The Revolution by Disaffection
Disaffection is every classic thrash metal head’s dream band. Seriously, these guys open up with sound snippets of a helicopter and bullet fire in what sounds like a firefight during a war, then comes the piercing guitars, gang vocals, bludgeoning drums and driving bass that I can only imagine is pumped out by ferocious, neck breaking head banging. These guys do thrash metal the way it should be done. If you like thrash, this is the best thing I have heard in a long time. My initial impressions were Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer, circa the 1980’s. I don’t say that because these guys have tried to copy those bands or be the “Christian” version of those bands, but I say that because that is the pinnacle of the thrash genre, and these guys hearken back to those days in a brutal return to form. Buy this, turn it up and let it play! Formed in 2005 in Brazil, these guys are genre defining.
That Was Then, This Is Now by The Rex Carroll Band
Is Southern rock making a comeback? Seems like we have a major southern fried theme going on in the reviews this month. If you know anything about guitar players and Christian music, you know who Rex Carroll is. Look up “shred” in the dictionary and you will find Carroll’s picture. Even people that hate hair metal give him props for his playing skills. Well, this is the album for people that hate hair metal but love good guitar. Carroll spent the last several years studying Stevie Ray Vaughn, and it shows. Throw in a dash of ZZ Top, a bit of the old Whitecross guitar shred, Carroll’s distinct blues voice, and you have this album. All of the other members of the band also bring their A-game. You would have to be a pretty stuck up indie rock snob to not even crack a smile while listening to this. Everyone likes a good slab of southern boogie blues hard rock slathered in white gravy from time to time.
My Silent Wake / The Drowning Split
Ian Arkley formed My Silent Wake in 2005. For all you metalheads, Ian has played with Seventh Angel, Ashen Mortality, Paramaecium and a couple of other acts as well. This split with The Drowning is great! The first 4 songs belong to My Silent Wake and each one is very different from the other. The first track “I Am Eternity” is a slow, mournful dirge that will get stuck in your head for days. “Bleak Endless Winter” is the second track and is more middle of the road metal with vocals that are growled and spit at you over wailing guitars and thumping bass lines, but the pace changes several times through this song as well making it very unique. The third track is “Devoid of Light” and it is very mellow, quiet and vocally sparse letting the music really convey some emotion while perfectly setting up the last song “Rebirth” which comes in at over 23 minutes long. “Rebirth” starts with an atmospheric bass line accompanied by various ambient sounds, increases to a very droning melancholic mid section and ends with a heavier guitar based structure while repeating the same lines over and over, and then closing with a spoken word… sonically it is very, very pleasing.
While starting out with 4 such solid tracks, The Drowning had their work cut out for them on the split disc. These guys are also along the same lines of gothic gloom and death metal, but where My Silent Wake was more melodic, The Drowning is crunchier, heavier and employs death metal vocals on every track. What I love about these four songs is that there is the heaviness and the stand out guitar work, the gravel of the vocals, and then this heavy, thick desolate ambience that really encompasses the entire sound. The songs are “The Doomsday Feire” followed by “Arc Light”, “Silent Epiphany” and then ending with “A Photograph” which chops back and forth between spoken vocals and death metal growls.
This is a highly recommended disc that is will wet your appetite for gloom, doom and gothic metal, and then leave you begging for more.
[2010 Bombworks Records | Purchase: BombworksRecords.com]The Fall (reissue) by King James
The Fall was originally released when so many hair metal bands were trying to be grunge. And most were failing – they tried too hard to change every part of their sound… even the parts that they couldn’t handle. King James was heads above the pack, because grunge is just an influence. For example, Jimi Bennett doesn’t try to force his voice lower than it can go, and Rex Carroll still plays solos. I love this CD – a great mix of melodic music and alternative heaviness – they got everything right that grunge got wrong.
Life War by Adiastasia
Somehow a Helloween CD got sent to us for review. Oh, wait a second – wrong continent. This is the Brazilian band Adiastasia. While they aren’t really a full-on clone of any one band, you can easily recognize the influences of all of the big players in the power metal scene – Gamma Ray, Stratovarius, Maiden, Helloween, etc. This is a re-mastered re-issue of a 2006 album with new artwork, because apparently the original version sold out. If you are in to this type of metal, you can see why. They nail the sound almost perfectly while playing every instrument very competently. While this may not appeal to the average DTL reader that only likes alternative / punk / hardcore – those with broader tastes that dip into classic metal will want to check this out.
In Character by Blood and Water
Energetic alternative rock with some punk and reggae influences. Really catchy stuff – came in last minute, so I wish I had more room to write. These guys sound modern without going “generic pop-punk wanna-be.” If more flavor-of-the-month bands sounded like this instead, there would be more hope for the business. Almost sounds like they could be the 2010 version of the better 1990s underground upbeat alt-Christian bands.