*FLASHBACK* LOVEWAR "Soak Your Brain"

(c) 1993 Word Music

1. Soak Your Brain
2. Golden Rule
3. Take Me
4. Welling Up
5. Space And Time
6. You Win
7. Keep Your Hands Off My Stuff
8. In The Sea
9. Just The Same
10. You Are Not Alone

Tim Bushong--Lead Vocals, Guitar

Greg Purlee--Drums, Backing Vocals

Rick Armstrong--Bass, Backing Vocals

Every now and then, I like to go back and review something considerably older.  There are a couple of reasons.  The first is to see how the music has held up over the years; to see if I still enjoy...or despise...something now as much as I did when I first started listening to it.  Secondly, of course, since this is a review site, I like to expose the readers to as much music as possible, so they can make their own decisions about a band or album.

2022 marks the 29th anniversary of the release of Soak Your Brain from Indiana-based rockers, Lovewar.  I remember buying this album when it first came out and not really knowing what to make of it.  I was really into thrash and speed metal at the time, and Lovewar is...well, definitely NOT thrash or speed metal.  As a result, I traded my cassette (remember those?) off, only to re-acquire it just a couple of years later, this time on CD.  Soak Your Brain is one re-acquisition I am definitely glad I made, as I have enjoyed this album considerably for twenty-plus years now.

It's funny to me now, because I remember Lovewar was labeled as the Christian answer to Pearl Jam or Nirvana, as grunge was dominating everything by the time this album was being pushed by their label, and it seems like EVERY band was supposed to be the "answer" to this grunge thing that was taking over the music industry.  Thing is...Lovewar sounds NOTHING like Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, or any of those bands.  Not even remotely!  

Lovewar is a three piece melodic hard rock band very much in the vein of Extreme, with hints of Mr,. Big, King's X, Galactic Cowboys, and eventual label-mates, Guardian, thrown into the mix.  Tight vocal harmonies, big, guitar hooks, intricate bass rhythms, and strong song crafting are the key elements of this band, with catchy melodies sticking in your head for days and insightful lyrics requiring a degree of thought not necessary for "mosquito/libido" ramblings from Seattle's favorite sons.

The album starts off with the funky title-track, "Soak Your Brain", and immediately the Extreme comparisons should become obvious.  Slightly dischordant guitars and thumping drums kick the track off before the funky bass line bumps its way in and gets the song off to a bouncing start.  Bushong's mid-tenor vocals are perfectly complimented by the harmonizing of Purlee and Armstrong on the catchy chorus, which also gives the band a bit of the Fire And Love-era Guardian feel I mentioned, as well.  The same can be said of "Golden Rule" which incorporates several sparse musical moments during the verses with some subtle effects used on Bushong's vocals, before ramping the energy up into the chorus.  "Take Me" again finds the band mining similar territory, spinning off a bouncy, fun track with a throbbing bass line, strong harmonies, and simple yet catchy guitars.

"Welling Up" slows things down a bit, although we still don't hit what I would consider to be ballad territory.  No, "Welling Up" is more in a bluesy vein than true balladry, but it is still a solid track that really shows the musical scope of the band.  One thing that strikes me here is how similar the harmony vocals sound to Enuff Z'Nuff when that band is on top of their game.  Really good stuff working on this song.

"Space and Time" and "You Win" both pick the pace back up with solid rockers, and "Keep Your Hands Off My Stuff" may be my favorite track of the album, with a funky bass line, some of the edgier guitars on the album, and very reminiscent of the type of music Extreme released on Pornograffitti a few years earlier.  Having been a fan of that album when it came out, I was very happy to hear this song...and this entire album, to be honest.

"In The Sea" starts off with a slow, plodding guitar riff, but it is mere trickery, as again, this is not a ballad at all and is more of the same upper-mid-tempo music that Mr. Big and Extreme were using to such good effect.  This is the longest song on the album, surpassing the six minute mark, which is odd to me as it never feels like it drags although it does have an EXCELLENT, extended guitar solo from Bushong running from about 2:32 until 3:28 or so.  There is also a slight Middle Eastern influence to the last ten or fifteen seconds of the solo, which is pretty cool buried in the middle of this song.  Good, good stuff here.

"Just The Same" is probably the hardest hitting song on the record, at least as far as the intro guitar riffs go, but it still never hits "metal" territory, and has a pretty jangly guitar line throughout the verse sections.  The album closes with "You Are Not Alone", yet another rocker featuring a really nice guitar solo, more of those killer harmonies, and funkified bass work.

Produced by brothers John and Dino Elefante of Kansas fame, the sound is bright and polished, but not a sugar-coated as some other Elefante material, which is a very good thing here as the music is interesting and unique and doesn't get glossed over.  The album packaging is a relatively simple 8 page booklet with full lyrics, thank you's, credits, and a single band picture.

Due to the uniqueness of the style...face it, there weren't a lot of bands doing the hard rock/funk fusion that Extreme, and to an extent Kings X and Galactic Cowboys did...and the excellent musicianship of these three men, Lovewar's Soak Your Brain is an album that I still turn to on a fairly regular basis.  To these ears, the album and style don't come across as dated because it is unique enough that it was never overdone or overplayed, so it sounds fresh every time I spin it.  Personally, I would say that Lovewar was every bit as talented as their counterparts, both musically and vocally.  I think the Christian label may have hurt them as far as marketing goes, but even then, there is no chapter-and-verse Biblical quoting going on here, just strong, positive, uplifting lyrics about human relationships and social ideas.  

Long out of print, this album can generally be found for a decent price on eBay, Amazon, and other on-line sources, so reach out and grab this great piece of music.  I am confident you will enjoy what you hear.  While you're at it, snag their reunion effort, Lovewar, from 2019.  You might love that one even more!

Rating:  This one holds up well over the years, and remains crankable.  Nearly 30 years later, Soak Your Brain is still a solid 7.5 in my book.

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JODI ESSEX "Unravel" (Single Release)

 

(c)2022 Independent Release

Jodi Essex--Vocals

Josiah Prince--All Instruments, Production

Powerhouse vocalist, Jodi Essex, returns with the second single off of her upcoming new album, following the hard rocking lead track, "Offend".  This time around, Essex slows things down to power ballad territory, albeit with some modern rock song structure, to present a song about the power of a person's will and the need to surrender our spirit and allow God to "unravel" the walls we put up around ourselves.  A bed of electronic effects and percussion intros the song, with Essex's breathy vocals carrying the verse toward a powerful-yet-simplistic chorus.  From here, new layers of instrumentation are added, with Prince's (Disciple) guitars adding their voice to the mix as Essex ramps up the power in her voice until it reaches a full-throated peak during the third run through the chorus.  Orchestral elements are added as Prince winds his way through an emotion-drenched solo before giving way to Essex and her closing runs through the chorus.  More outstanding guitar work leads the track out, and almost immediately I hit repeat.  This...THIS...is the kind of ballad that Essex absolutely dominates and is what I was hoping we would hear from her this time around.  I can't help but think of Berlin's big hit, "Take My Breath Away" from the Top Gun soundtrack when I hear this song (now that I mention it, I would LOVE to hear Essex tackle that classic hit!), and for me it is obvious this is the type of song Essex works best with, at least on slower material.  As I noted in my review of her debut album, Irreverent, I love Essex's voice, I just didn't love some of the material she was working with, especially on the ballads, which I felt became too poppy and too soft.  Essex has a presence that is absolutely dominating, and she boasts a strong range with the ability to convey emotion with her voice in a way most others cannot.  When you combine that voice with the abilities of Josiah Prince, special things are going to happen...and they do on "Unravel".  After hearing the first two singles, my excitement for Essex's new EP continues to build.  Look for the full release in early summer.

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**FLASHBACK** PETRA "Beyond Belief"

 

(c)1990 Dayspring Music

1. Armed And Dangerous
2. I Am On The Rock
3. Creed
4. Beyond Belief
5. Love
6. Underground
7. Seen And Not Heard
8. Last Daze
9. What's In A Name
10. Prayer

John Schlitt--Lead Vocals
Bob Hartman--Guitars
John Lawry--Keyboards
Ronny Cates--Bass
Louie Weaver--Drums

When a band has been around as long as Petra, they have likely seen many trends come and go...and possibly participated in a few, as well.  This is true of Petra.  Once John Schlitt replaced Greg X. Volz as lead vocalist, the band immediately went in more of a polished hard rock direction, which I love, versus the more folk-rock style that Volz often incorportated (although older Petra does have its solid classic rock moments as well).  By 1990, the more slickly polished sound of arena rock had become the big thing, and Petra was quick to jump on board with their new effort, Beyond Belief.  The results were...well...nah, the pun is just too easy.

Beyond Belief is one of those albums that fans either gravitate toward or turn their backs on.  The sound on this record is huge:  big guitars, pounding drums, slick production, juicy hooks, and plenty of powerful vocals that Schlitt delivers with style and conviction.  Some people will, of course, accuse Petra of selling out to the current trends, but really, Beyond Belief is a natural progression from On Fire! and even This Means War, with solid hard rock song writing backed by some excellent performances.  Yeah, the production is definitely more arena rock than classic rock, especially with the additional attention the keys get here, but overall, its just rocker after rocker after rocker flowing off this album, with only minor stops at the ballads the band has always incorporated, but which I have never really found myself overly drawn to.  I'm not sure why, but as a general rule, I am just not a fan of most Christian rocker's ballads as they tend to come off TOO sugary sweet for me, with no real bite.  Granted, this is not a 100% carved in stone rule, as I love some of the stuff Holy Soldier, Stryper, Rez, and some others have done, but for me, most of the time the ballads become skippers, even when the legendary Petra is involved.

Band founder, lead guitarist, and stalwart member, Bob Hartman, continues to be the main songwriter for the band, although this time he did get some help from former Kansas member/current Mastedon leader, John Elefante, who also produced the album with his brother, Dino.  Together, the Hartman writing and Elefante production brings to life the biggest-sounding Petra album to that point in the band's career, and one that saw multiple Christian rock charting singles, including the hard rocker, "Seen And Not Heard", the slick AOR of the title track, the powerful melodic rocker, "Creed", and the ballad, "Prayer".  All are solid tracks, with "Creed" being a monster of a song in its full sound, melodic approach, and powerful lyrics, and "Seen And Not Heard" one of the best rockers on this effort.  I would also recommend "Armed And Dangerous", "Underground", and "Last Daze" as far as hard, yet melodic tracks that fans of Def Leppard's Hysteria and Adrenalize style should love.  "I Am On The Rock" and "What's In A Name" are also solid rock numbers, with "...Rock" having a bit of a dance rhythm to it that a lot of people will find hard to resist tapping their feet or nodding their head to.

The two ballads, which are spread out evenly as the fifth and tenth tracks on the disc are pretty much standard Petra ballad material.  "Love" is my preference of the two, and is one of the very few Petra ballads I don't just automatically skip, although it also would never work its way onto a personal best-of compilation or anything.  As I mentioned previously, most Christian rock ballads are just to saccharine for my tastes, usually overblown with keyboards and lacking in solid guitar work.  There are very few instances where the words "power" and "ballad" come together on a Christian disc, which is unfortunate, and they certainly don't do that here, either.  Both deliver strong messages, and Schlitt's softer approach is gallant in its effort, but these songs, especially "Prayer" just leave me feeling flat, especially after the rest of this disc has pumped me up so much.

Overall, this is one of the top three Petra discs of all time (in my opinion, of course), and is a worthy addition to any melodic hard rock collection.  Hartman is a  more than capable guitar player, able to play solid rhythms and pull off some killer leads with equal skill, and it would be very hard to find a more powerful, charismatic vocalist than Schlitt, who formerly fronted classic rockers, Head East.  Lawry's keys are a nice polishing touch, not overpowering or so out-front that it changes the sound of the record, and Cates and Weaver are steady, if not flashy players throughout (although Cates does have some tasty bass lines on a couple of the dancier numbers).  Generally not hard to find, Beyond Belief is a nice pick-up for $8 to $10 and one that is likely to stay in rotation for most people for a considerable length of time.

Rating:  Crank this to a solid 7.5.

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IGNESCENT "Ascension" EP

 

(c) 2022 Independent Release

1. Remnant
2. Better Left Forgotten
3. Anymore
4. Final Fight

Jennifer Benson--Lead Vocals

Ty Moreland--Guitars

Ian Sebastian--Bass

Joshua Garcia--Drums

Harsh, siren-like guitars announce the arrival of Ignescent's newest single, as the band's EP, Ascension, comes screaming to life with "Remnant".  Shortly thereafter, thick, down-tuned rhythm guitars come crashing in, pairing with the bass to reinforce a bottom end to the track that would make Love & Death proud!  This is some seriously heavy, dark music coming from Ignescent, building upon the foundation they had laid with the release of four singles over the past couple of years.  As has always been the case with the band, the real focal point of this rejuvenated group (Moreland and Garcia are new to the band) are the alternately angelic and sneering vocals of Jennifer Benson, who dwells largely in the darker, angrier portion of her delivery style for this song, matching the intensity of the music being delivered here.

For the next two tracks, Benson allows here more angelic vocal side to appear, stretching her range from that darker, harsher style used in "Remnant" to the much loftier pitches her fantastic voice allows her to use seemingly at will.  Benson lists Flyleaf as an influence, and her ability to change styles and pitches with ease is definitely reminiscent of what Lacey Sturm has show, although with one notable exception, Benson never really ventures into the full-throated screaming territory that Sturm regularly treads.  "Better Left Forgotten" finds Benson using a more restrained approach on the verse sections, then soaring through the chorus sections.  Musically, "Better Left Forgotten" maintains the crunchy, floor-scraping tuning on the guitars, but Benson adds a bit more melodic flair to her vocals here, ratcheting the overall feel of the song up from the angry depths that "Remnant" explores.  I would be willing to bet this song sees release as a single by this summer, and I predict it will hit hard, although it may be more on harder stations, or even metal stations, that "Better Left Forgotten" finds its biggest success.

Easily the most radio friendly of the four tracks on this EP, "Anymore" is going to please long-time fans of the band, with a hard rock sound blending with a touch of melodic pop-rock to the song's structure.  Benson's vocals on "Anymore" are spectacular, as she showcases her full range and various styles, climbing the scales with a sweet run through the chorus, which I rank as one of the catchiest I have heard in the modern rock world thus far in 2022. Easily the most melodic of the tracks here, with Moreland utilizing some smooth, catchy melody lines throughout the song, "Anymore" may actually see the band at their creative peak at this point in their career, combining styles and influences with ease.  Hard enough to please the rivotheads, but melodic enough to entice copious amount of play from stations like TheRockHD.net and ChristianRock.Net, I think "Anymore" is going to be all over the place when it sees release as a single and my hope is this track really breaks the band to the next level and exposes people to just how talented this band has been for ears.  I rarely say this about songs, but in this case I will make an exception: I would LOVE to hear an acoustic version of this song!  I just think the song structure and Benson's amazing vocals really lend themselves to a powerful, emotional acoustic rendering of this song.  Just my take...

The EP closes with "Final Fight", which forgoes anything sweet in lieu of sheer aggression, from the snarling bottom-end of the rhythm guitars to the pummeling drums, the rumbling bass to Benson's urgent, angst-filled vocals. For fans familiar with the band's singles from 2020 and 2021, think of the darker sounds the band used on "Demons777" and get angrier.  Returning to the opening sounds and styles of "Remnant", this bottom-heavy rocker is a perfect closer to this EP and finds the band in seriously aggressive modern hard rock/metal territory that fans of The Letter Black will likely grab hold of instantly.  Featuring a catchy pre-chorus, a chunky breakdown, and some catchy guitar work from newcomer, Moreland...as well as a serious scream from Benson just moments before the track closes, "Final Fight" leaves the listener wondering what just smacked them in the ear hole!

Ignescent continues to grow and evolve with each release, and this EP finds the Chicago-based band at their creative zenith to this point in their career.  Although the band has crafted a sound and style that is rather easily identifiable as Ignescent, on Ascension everything is bigger, heavier, darker, and more well-honed than on their previous single releases. Admittedly, I would have loved to have had those four 2020 and 2021 singles packaged with these new tracks to give the listener something closer to a full album than this achingly small EP, and I will always prefer physical media to digital-only releases, but I don't fault the band for wanting to get fresh music out to their fans.  Perhaps at some point in the not-too-distant future we will see a full Ignescent CD, but for now, I highly encourage fans to hit their favorite digital media platforms to check out Ascension.

Rating:  Very short but very solid!  Crank this 15 minute tease to 8 and make sure you set your player to repeat because Ascension is so engaging it will simply fly by!

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