SEVENTH DAY SLUMBER "Death By Admiration"

 

(c)2022 RockFest Records

1. Death By Admiration (feat. Word is Alive)
2. Fatal Love
3. Solemn Oath
4. What I've Become
5. Halos
6. Snake Mouth (feat. Relent)
7. Light The Way
8. Landmines
9. Some Things Never Change
10. Can't Say Sorry Enough

Joseph Rojas--Lead Vocals, Guitars

Weston Evans--Guitars

Ken Reed--Bass

Blaise Rojas--Drums, Percussion

Additional Musicians

Telle Smith--Screams and additional vocals on "Death By Admiration"

Miggy Sanchez--Rap vocal on "Snake Mouth"

As people continue to hope that 2022 will bring some normalcy back to the world, Seventh Day Slumber is doing all they can to kick the year off in top form.  After releasing a praise and worship album, Unseen: The Lion and the Lamb in 2021, vocalist and band founder, Joseph Rojas, promised fans a hard-hitting album with their next release.  Let's just say that Death By Admiration checks all the boxes that come to my mind when thinking of a "hard-hitting" album.  While the band has long been a powerful force in the Christian hard rock world, with my introduction to the band starting with the crunchy We Are The Broken album in 2014, I don't hesitate at all in stating that Death By Admiration is the hardest rocking album in the band's extensive catalog which now boasts 13 full-length records and 1 EP.  

The album opens with an electronic build up that gives way to the thunder of Blaise's drums and the thick, chunky rhythm guitars that bore their way to the front are full of aggression.  It is immediately apparent that something is a bit different here than on past Seventh Day Slumber records, as frontman Joseph Rojas has added a smoother singing style to his still-present edgy delivery that he utilized to such great effect on previous records.  That smoother style is made all the more evident with the closing of the song, as the throaty metalcore vocals of Word Is Alive vocalist, Telle Smith, roar to life.  I'm not sure if the intricate guitar line that weaves throughout the track is handled by new full-time member, Weston Evans, or by Word Is Alive guitarist, Zack Hansen, but whomever tackles it has some serious skill, as that is a frantic finger twister that I have caught myself focusing on to the point that I stopped listening to the lyrics altogether!  

The next track up is "Fatal Love", which I feel has to be released as a single at some point.  The song is pure Seventh Day Slumber from start to finish, and represents everything the band has done so well to this point in their career, and then builds upon it.  Thick, modern rhythm guitar riffing?  Check.  Punchy drums with catchy fills and tempo changes?  Check.  Throaty, edgy chorus vocals mixed with smoother singing vocals on the verses?  Absolutely.  I'm honestly somewhat surprised this wasn't the lead single for the record, as this track just screams Seventh Day Slumber to me.  Add in a crunchy breakdown section before the final run through the chorus, and this is a winner from spin one for me.  Top three on the album, for sure!

"Solemn Oath" keeps things going with the prerequisite electronic intro and punishing rhythm guitar riff kicking things off.  The only track co-written by longtime guitar player, Jeremy Holderfield, "Solemn Oath" is yet another track that is pure Seventh Day Slumber in its approach and attitude.  Joseph strips away the polish on his voice, exposing the rawer sound he has typically used in the past, with some bolstering from well-placed backing vocals.  I'm not sure if Holderfield plays on the track, but the guitars here are chunky and aggressive, reminiscent of the playing on older albums like We Are The Broken and Closer To Chaos. Ken Reed's bass is a full-voiced participant here, and  Blaise Rojas shows nice skill with some snappy fills and tight rhythms in the brief section before the vocal bridge, coming off almost like a drum solo of sorts.  His machine gun strikes to close the track are spot on perfect!  Good, aggressive stuff that long-time 7DS fans are going to eat up.   

The band released the lead single several weeks ago, and "What I've Become" has made steady climbs up various Christian hard rock and metal charts, finishing as the 19th biggest song of the 2021 year on ChristianRock.Net.  The gritty modern rocker finds Joseph Rojas expanding upon his vocal range a bit more than is typical, and it works to strong effect with a lot more singing from the front man than many songs of the past have featured.  A song about depression and self-loathing, the message here is a powerful one, with Rojas singing "Sometimes I build myself up/So I can tear myself down again/I never thought I'd get this low/I hate what I've become".  

"Halos" briefly teases at being a slower track, but that veneer is quickly wiped away when the guitars and drums hit.  To be fair, the verse sections are pretty laid back in comparison to most of the other songs on the album, but the chorus....wow.  The chorus section here stand in stark contrast to the verse sections, with some brutally angsty backing vocals screaming behind Joseph's smoother tenor.  There is also a pretty nasty breakdown that stops as abruptly as it starts, with another run through the chorus starting off clean and ending very, very harsh.  I'm working from a preview copy here, so I am not sure who is doing the harsh vocals here, but I intend to find out, as they are brutal!  Love the dichotomy between the clean vocals and the snarls on this track, which is one that I can't stop hitting repeat on.  

By the time "Snake Mouth" rolls around, you may be ready to catch your breath, but trust me...it ain't happening here!  Opening with some minor electronic elements that rapidly give way to a heavy rhythm guitar, "Snake Mouth" continues the sonic assault with possibly the punchiest, grittiest track on the record!  A scathing warning to the self-serving who profess to know God yet turn others away as being unworthy, "Snake Mouth" also features a vicious nu metal rap from Miggy, of RockFest Records label mates Relent, who warns, "Bleeding out, bleeding out/You just walked past. You couldn't see me through the Jesus on your stained glass!"  

"Light The Way" is also not going to give the listener any kind of respite.  Sure, as is the case on a few tracks here, the verse sections are a bit more sparse, a bit tamer, but the pulse of the song is still set high by Blaise's drumming and the aggressive rhythm riffing.  An electronic bed pulsates throughout the track, helping to keep things moving forward at a solid clip, as well.  Joseph really pours himself into the vocals here, and this may be his most impressive performance on the record in as much as he really sounds like he is laying himself emotionally bare here.    

As the title might imply, "Landmines" is another...ahem...explosive rocker, boasting a big bottom end, with Reed's bass rumbling across the chunky rhythms that Blaise hammers out on the drums.  Not blisteringly fast, "Landmines" hits hard, nonetheless, with tight rhythm guitars and more impactful vocals from Joseph.  The band adjusts the typical song layout a bit here, as there is no guitar solo or big breakdown to separate the final runs through the chorus from the last verse sections, however that doesn't mean the song lacks musical dynamic, as Weston flashes some impressive finger work and a nice little burst of speed on a tasty extended solo to exit the track.  A powerful track about letting go of negative relationships, potentially even relationships to sin, "Landmines" is one of my top three or four songs here and gets the repeat treatment quite frequently when I spin the record.

"Some Things Never Change" is yet another uptempo rocker, but it is a bit more angled for radio than perhaps some other songs are here.  A catchy guitar hook worms its way throughout the song, and the track seems to build upon the theme of "Landmines" and moving on from negativity and bad relationships.  Joseph even spits a bit of a rap vocal in the vocal bridge before the last chorus, and a nasty breakdown thumps the listener upside the head before the track exits.  I'll be surprised if this song doesn't impact Christian hard rock radio at some point, and it should get play on terrestrial rock radio and Octane as well.  

The album closes on the only truly quiet note on the record, with "Can't Say Sorry Enough".  Built around an acoustic guitar, some well-placed strings, and some  gently layered vocals, the song is an emotional, almost poignant ending to an otherwise aggressive, hard-hitting record...and it works!  Once again, the vocal growth that Joseph Rojas has put on display on Death By Admiration is impressive.  While he has always been able to sing...some of the band's biggest songs have been ballads, in fact...it just seems he has added an extra layer of depth and emotion that I feel really began to grow with the praise songs on Unseen: The Lion and the Lamb.  Add in the exceptional songwriting on this record, and it is safe to say that Seventh Day Slumber continues to grow and improve as a band, not slowing down, but continuing to push forward.

Leaving nothing to chance, the band brought in some big names to twist the knobs and tweak the sounds here, with Kellen McGregor of Memphis May Fire both mixing and producing, while Brad Blackwook, who has worked with Skillet, Korn, POD, and Twenty One Pilots, doing the mastering.  The result is a big sound, aggressive yet accessible, punchy and never overly polished.  Blaise's drums have never sounded this full, and Reed's bass is alive in the mix, whereas so many bands today seemingly bury the bottom end.  There is good separation between the guitar tracks here, and the layering of the backing vocals works exceptionally well, especially for a band that hits as hard as Seventh Day Slumber does here.

Rating:  Time will ultimately tell, but at this point, I'd say Death By Admiration is Seventh Day Slumber at their crankable best!  Crank this beast to a 9!

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12 STONES "Smoke And Mirrors, Volume 1"

(c) 2020 MTown Records

1. In Flames
2. Anywhere But Here
3. Sever
4. Gone Away
5. Empty Words

Paul McCoy--Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar

Eric Weaver--Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Bass, Backing Vocals

Sean Dunaway--Drums

Somehow, for the second straight release, 12 Stones has managed to release an album without me knowing about it.  Granted, perhaps this one is a bit more excusable as it is a digital-only EP, but still, how did I not at least hear about it?  This latest EP, Smoke And Mirrors, Volume 1, has been out since November of 2020, but in today's music world, no singles have received airplay (that I am aware of), and no videos have been made (that I can find), so perhaps it shouldn't come as a shock that I didn't know about this release.  Regardless of if I knew about it, Smoke And Mirrors Volume 1 is here, so what's it all about?

For anyone who may have (somehow) missed them previously, 12 Stones has been together for more than 20 years now, playing an aggressive-yet-melodic form of modern radio rock that has spawned five albums and now two EPs, with 15 singles released to radio, and multiple songs have been used by the WWE. NHL, MLB, NASCAR, and several movie soundtracks.  In fact, during their first decade, it was pretty hard to avoid 12 Stones, as they were seemingly all over the place, with all of their album releases (12 Stones, Potter's Field, Anthem For The Underdog, Beneath The Scars, and the The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday EP) charting in Billboard's Top 200 and all but Anthem For The Underdog charting in the Billboard Top Christian Album's Top 10.  Things slowed down with the band taking a five year recording hiatus...although they still played live shows...returning in 2017 with Picture Perfect, and then again with this latest effort in late 2020.  Since their beginning as a band in 2000, both McCoy and Weaver have been the foundation of the band, with a revolving cast of musicians joining the founding duo.  Drummer Dunaway has been rock solid with the band since 2014, however, so the current version of the line-up has nearly 8 years of chemistry behind them as the band works their way into their third decade as a group.    

On this newest EP, very little has changed in the sound and approach that 12 Stones utilizes, although they do add a few new wrinkles to their repertoire.  The album kicks off with the high voltage rock of "In Flames", with its message of frustration with the negativity of the world today.  "We're all just pieces in a twisted game/We won't be happy 'til the world's in flames" McCoy snarls in the chorus, while the second verse intones "We've all stopped caring for our fellow man/To love each other is a cardinal sin".  The bridge section takes this sentiment a step further, as McCoy sings "Divided we stand for nothing at all/United in fear, we'll lose it all" before Weaver steps in and drops a surprisingly hooky guitar solo.  McCoy's rhythm guitars are relentless throughout the track, and Dunaway simply crushes the kit on a song that I really feel should have been all over modern rock and Christian rock radio in 2020, yet was not even released as a single, as near as I can tell.  One annoyance with this track is nearly two minutes of silence at the end of the track.  I mean TOTAL silence.  There's nothing hidden here, just...nothing.  I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but it is annoying, to be sure.

When the silence finally breaks, the melodic-yet-brooding "Anywhere But Here" drops, with McCoy utilizing some big "whoa-oh-oh" type vocals to open the song and then to exit each chorus.  I really, really like this song which is definitely catchy and hooks the listener from the start.  Dunaway is again a beast on the kit, with a really tight drum roll heading into the final chorus break and some severe abuse of his cymbals throughout.  There are some programmed elements in this track, including what sound like programmed strings to help support the chorus section, and all-in-all, I'd have to say this is one of the better songs 12 Stones has recorded and is one that, again, I have no idea why it wasn't pushed to radio.  For what it's worth, I have told a couple of friends and my wife that the song structure reminds me of a punchier, more aggressive "Kiss From A Rose" by Seal, an while they thought I was crazy at first (they may still think I'm crazy, who knows), they all agreed they could hear what I was talking about.

"Sever" ups the aggression once again, with McCoy's rhythm guitars and Weaver's leads meshing well to power the song forward.  There are some odd effects thrown into the mix that sound a bit...off...for a lack of a better word, but they don't destroy the song.  Weaver drops a really catchy guitar solo, as well, and his growth, as well as the band's incorporation of more solo work into their songs, shows a growth and maturation that a lot of 12 Stones' peers simply haven't achieved.

A perfect example of that is "Gone Away", which is definitely my favorite track on the EP.  What would be considered the EP's ballad, "Gone Away" starts off with a very moody, grungy guitar tone that reminds me of the intro to Nirvana's "Come As You Are", before it moves on and builds into something much more melodic.  The verses are a bit more laid back than the punchy choruses, and the varied approaches work exceptionally well.  "Gone Away" also gives Weaver another chance to really expand his guitar's sound on both the brief solo section in the middle and the expanded closing run at the end of the track.  McCoy backs off of the rasp a bit here, cleaning up his vocals just enough for  emotional effect.

The EP closes on a hard-hitting note, with some hints of nu metal being used throughout "Empty Words" to surprisingly good effect.  Echoing similar themes to the opener, McCoy sneers, "I find myself trapped in this hell, surrounded by empty words and tired excuses" as Dunaway thunders away at his kit and the rhythm guitars chew their way through this edgy rocker.  Weaver utilizes a slightly different approach to his solo section here, but it works, and "Empty Words" finds the band exiting this sub-20 minute EP on a definite high note.

I'm not sure if this was a creative outlet for the band during the Covid lockdowns or if the band is taking the cue of several other bands and plans to release EPs at a faster rate than would likely be possible with full-length efforts.  Regardless, it is a very solid addition to the 12 Stones catalog, although I would be lying if I said I wasn't frustrated that it is currently only available as a digital download.  I have heard rumors of a Smoke And Mirrors, Volume 2 being released sometime in 2022, so perhaps the two EPs will be collectively packaged and get a proper physical release. 

I think the production is solid and the mix is very nicely done, which is really highlighted by the separation of McCoy's and Weaver's guitars.  Outside of that quirky (and irritating) 2 minutes of silence after track one, I really don't have any complaints about the production or the layout of the EP.  I have no idea who mixed, mastered, or produced Smoke And Mirrors, Volume 1...perhaps the band did it themselves...but kudos to whomever was at the mixing console.   

Rating:  As solid as ever, 12 Stones returns in crankable form with Smoke And Mirrors, Volume 1.  Crank this to a solid 7.5, with only its brevity and digital-only format holding it back from a higher rating.

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LOVE LIKE GRAVITY "Break The Silence"

(c) 2021 LLG

1. Devil's In The Details
2. Let It Go
3. Scream
4. Break The Silence
5. Through Your Eyes
6. All I Need
7. Game Of Souls
8. Grind
9. Thorn (featuring Tony Palacios)
10. Shaken

Billy Pind--Lead Vocals, Guitars, Piano

Cale Kight--Guitars, Programming

Stan Mayo--Drums, Synth, Programming

Additional Musicians

Tony Palacios--Bass on all, Guitar Solo on "Thorn"

You have to say this about the Covid pandemic: it really kickstarted the creative process for a lot of bands who had disappeared into the ether.  Despite the success of several singles off of the band's first two efforts, it had been six long years since Love Like Gravity had released an album, and it seemed as if LLG was another band that had simply moved on.  Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the band dropped "Devil In The Details", its first single since they released their Chain Reaction album in 2015.  Numerous weeks on the charts (including several spent at number one on various Christian rock charts) have proven that not only is Love Like Gravity back, they appear to be back bigger than ever.

The album kicks off with the lead single, "Devil In The Details", and it is obvious the band has not lost their penchant for hard-edged guitars mixed with electronic elements that drove such songs as "Slave", "Dig", "Adrenaline", and their biggest hit to-date, "Stronger".  I reviewed the single previously HERE, so without rehashing everything, I'll just leave the video here for you, just in case you are one of the few people who have missed the band's big return hit. 

From here, the band finds themselves continuing in a similar vein throughout much of the record, with varying levels of intensity.  "Let It Go" backs off the angst a bit, dialing back the snarl on the guitars and aims a bit more for a mainstream modern rock sound and hitting the mark solidly.  Pind's voice is absolutely suited for this type of track that recalls a lot of what was so great about Love Like Gravity on their previous efforts.  My instincts tell me this track will be a single in the not too distant future, and I imagine people familiar with the band will eat this song up!

"Scream" is one of the best tracks on the album, and one that I find myself returning to again and again, with Pind utilizing both clean and harsh styled vocals and Kight absolutely tearing things up on the guitar.  "Scream" is a great representation of what this album does well, and the current trio of Pind, Kight, and Stan Mayo (who handles the drums and programming) is exceptionally tight and complement each other well.  The same can be said for the title track, "Break The Silence", which is another one of those three or four songs that keep fighting for that top of the heap slot.  Featuring a hook that could snag a whale, "Break The Silence" is yet another track that is screaming for radio airplay, and I find myself hitting repeat on this track practically every time I pop the disc in.

Things slow considerably from here with the big ballad, "Through Your Eyes".  A largely acoustic number, this track perfectly showcases Pind's vocal power, as well as some serious skill on acoustic guitar. It has been my experience that a lot of players really find themselves exposed when they unplug their guitar, but that is not the case here.  Normally, the ballads take a bit of time to grow on me, but "Through Your Eyes" grabbed my attention right away.  

"All I Need" stays on the slower side but doesn't really hit ballad territory, and the guitars and amps stay plugged in for the duration.  A profession of our need for Christ to save us from "the enemy", as well as from ourselves, "All I Need" confronts self-medication ("I tried to take a pill to kill the pain, but it never left me...") and calls on our Savior to "save me, from the enemy, that was trying to beat me down...rescue me before I drown" in this world that will betray us and leave us on our own.  A powerful song that Pind pours his passion into vocally, "All I Need" is another great example of a track that sounds perfectly suited for modern rock radio, whether Christian or secular, with a message that the entire world needs to hear. 

"Game Of Souls" is another big-time rocker with a hard-hitting message that just keeps forcing me to hit repeat when it comes on.  The guitars crunch nicely, and Mayo's drums sound particularly huge on this track, with Pind's voice rising and falling with ease throughout the track.  Second single, "Grind", is also an absolute ear-snagger for me, definitely top two or three on the record, with Pind utilizing that edgy snarl to perfection on the chorus sections while his clean vocals glide through the verses.  Kight's guitar, once again, charges hard throughout the track, and the modern elements added by the programming perfectly round out the sound.  Yet another competitor for the top track on the record, "Game Of Souls" warns the listener to consider the cost of the actions we choose to take and to know that life is more than just a game, our souls not something to gamble away.  

Despite all the really good tracks on the first half of this album, there are two specific tracks that directly challenge "Devil In The Details" for best on the record, and they are the closing tracks on the album.  "Thorn" is actually a re-worked track from the band's previous album, and while I really liked the original, I LOVE this new version.  Edgy, gritty, and angsty in all the right places, "Thorn" is just a monster of a track, with Kight's churning rhythm guitar carving its way through the meat of the track, before...BOOM...Tony Palacios, of Guardian fame, drops a teasingly short but exquisitely tasty solo that blows this new version of the song so far past the original that it's hard for me to consider them to be the same track, honestly.  Not a lie, this is definitely one of the best songs I have heard this year...but it technically is a "next year" track, and I have to believe it will be one of the best in 2022, as well!  

The album wraps with yet another great rocker in "Shaken" that, once again, finds Pind absolutely dominating on vocals, the full range of his dynamics on display as he sings/screams/snarls across an electronically-enhanced bed of grinding guitar and thundering drums.  Not blazingly fast, but definitely punchy and powerful, "Shaken" is a potent track for the times.  The first verse talks about putting on that false face for the public, worrying about how we are perceived by others, while the second talks about not letting our fears shake our foundation of faith in ourselves and in God.  An excellent wrap for the album, "Shaken" really puts a neat bow on a great comeback record from a band that I had seriously considered dead and buried.

The production on this record is excellent, with the band tackling that monumental task with great skill, with an assist from Tony Palacios on mixing the album.  To sound this big, this crisp, and this professional with ZERO label support is quite an achievement.  The songwriting on the album is excellent, with hooks galore, and the songs deliver a serious lyrical punch, with the band members' faith on full display without beating the listener over the head.  I love the tone of Kight's guitar throughout the record, and he and Mayo retain the formidable modern rock punch they first exhibited back in 2011 on their debut EP, and with the addition of Pind on vocals, they have managed to progress in their sound, maturing as we all do, but not compromising who and what Love Like Gravity is.  There are likely to be some comparisons to Decyfer Down on this record, especially surrounding some of the vocal stylings of Pind, which is probably fair...and pretty high praise, in my opinion!  Breaking Benjamin may be a comparison point for some, as well.  That being said, for anyone who is familiar with the band's past, there is no doubt this is still Love Like Gravity.  

While I am sure there are still a lot of people like me who have been around pretty much since the get-go with LLG, with such a long layoff between albums, it is likely an entirely new generation of fans has jumped on the LLG train with the success of "Devil's In The Details" and have helped to propel the single to the top of the charts.  I truly hope this same group of new fans snaps up Break The Silence and keeps the LLG train rolling so maybe we won't have another 5 or 6 year gap between stops!  I also hope 2022 gets us closer to normal in the world and Love Like Gravity can take their show on the road!  Trust that if they show up anywhere near Nebraska, I will do everything possible to be in attendance!  

The album releases in January, 2022,  so you can still snag your a copy of Break The Silence by hitting the band's website here.  If you're more the digital type, you can download a copy on iTunes here.

Rating:  Still crankable even after a long layoff!  Crank this to an 8.5!

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THE BRAVE "Evie's Little Garden"

 

(c) 2021 Independent Release

1. Evie's Little Garden
2. Run To You
3. I've Always Wondered
4. We're Not In Kansas Anymore
5. Elevate Me
6. Creep
7. If I Told You
8. Lonely Bones
9. And We All Fall Down
10. Lucid
11. Come To Me
12. Love: Automatic

Stayce Roberts--Lead Vocals, Lead Guitars, Keys

Malcolm Paris--Bass, Backing Vocals

John Spittle--Drums

From the Out Of Nowhere Files, 2021 saw the return of one of my favorite melodic rock bands of the 1990s, The Brave.  Now, it is true, The Brave did previously make a comeback effort with the release of  the rather unspectacular 2014 record, Rise, but after that disappointing effort, I truly didn't feel like we would ever hear from the band again.  It has been a long time since I was so glad that I was so wrong!  

No, Evie's Little Garden does not fully transport the band back to 1992 and their insanely slick and highly polished Battle Cries album.  Nor does it truly recall the dirtier, bluesier, grittier sound of 1994's Trust record.  However, Evie's Little Garden does find the band settling somewhere in the middle of those two excellent albums, treating listeners to an album that combines surprisingly strong lead vocals (why hasn't Roberts been fronting the band all of these years?!) backed by Paris' tight vocal harmonies, excellent guitar work, and a powerful bottom end that all work together to support some truly great songs that breathe new life into the Christian branch of the melodic hard rock genre.  While Roberts and Paris remain from the original version of the band, and Spittle has been with The Brave since the mid-90s, unlike on their last release, Rise, where they chose to pay homage to their past by re-recording several tracks from their first two records, this time The Brave exclusively moves forward with all new songs and an updated sound.  

The record kicks off with the title track and lead single, "Evie's Little Garden", which sets the Creation of man, and his subsequent fall in the Garden of Eden, to a killer, hook-laden rock track.  Guitars rumble to life to intro the track, then the percussion-driven verses and Roberts' gritty, gravelly vocals snarl their way into the mix, not even hinting at the melodic hook that is going to snare you in the ear once the chorus hits!  Expertly layered backing vocals add to the snarl that Roberts incorporates here, creating one of my favorite melodic rock tracks of the year, Christian or secular!  There's also a great guitar solo, some cool snake sound effects thrown into the mix, and just enough keyboard to round out this melodic rock gem.  This is a MONSTER of a song that had me clamoring to hear the entire record the very first time I laid ears on the track.  But as great as the music is, the construction of the lyrics, particularly the chorus, really grabbed my attention...

"Something's goin' on down in Evie's Little Garden,

Somebody said they saw a snake!

Hell's breaking loose down in Evie's Little Garden,

There's gonna be some Hell to pay...

There ain't no Garden anymore!"

Check it out below...

Follow-up single, "Run To You" shows up next in the track list, this time adding a bit more polish to the sound, with smooth, soaring vocals.  Definitely a bit "poppier" in the songwriting department, "Run To You" sounds a bit like an updated version of the type of tune the band burst onto the scene with on Battle Cries.  Roberts backs off the grit and gravel, vocally, allowing his voice to soar a bit in places, with Roberts displaying a fairly impressive range for a guy who had three separate chances, on three previous albums, to step up to the microphone, and in all three cases utilized a different lead singer!  And while he doesn't have the smooth, rich delivery of original frontman, James Salter, I have to say that I am far more able to listen to Roberts' voice repeatedly as it has that edge that just grabs your attention.  Again, this is a solid rock track, a bit more uptempo than the punchy "Evie's Little Garden", and features some really strong drum work.  Check this one out below...

"I've Always Wondered" heads more in the bluesier direction that the band's sophomore record, Trust, travelled, and I have to say it is one of the best tracks on an album chock full of great tunes!  Pondering the question of what life would be like had Christ not died for our sins, this track hits hard both musically and lyrically.  This type of track really seems to be the band's strong suit, to be honest, and is definitely put together well.  Once again, we have a really good guitar solo following the second chorus run, and Roberts sounds extremely confident with this type of vocal approach.  Again, I have to give a nod to the really well done backing vocals that add even more depth to the lead vocals from Roberts.  And, yet again, the band has offered up a video for what I am assuming will be the third single from the album at some point.  

As great as "Evie's Little Garden" is, as a song, I have to say that the next cut, "We're Not In Kansas Any More" may be my favorite (although it is definitely close!).  As I alluded to earlier, I really, really liked the musical turn the band took between their first and second albums, and "...Kansas..." definitely has that bluesy style that was utilized so expertly on the Trust record, which I would have previously said was my favorite.  If you are familiar with Trust, the killer "Can't Let The Devil Win" is a great stylistic comparison, and I find myself considering whether I love this track more than that one, which says a lot!  Here, this slower mid-tempo rocker just has such a cool guitar tone, more of those amazing backing vocals, and a big guitar hook that sinks itself in and refuses to let go.  Again, Roberts proves himself to be an expert vocalist with this type of track, and I highly doubt I have made it through this album without hitting repeat on this track every time.  I hope this song is released as a single in the near future, as I think "We're Not In Kansas Anymore" could end up being one of the band's signature songs.  I love it!  

"Elevate Me" stays in this bluesy groove, and I have to admit that I found myself starting to feel like this was the pocket the band would spend the rest of the album working from, and I was completely okay with that.  The Brave definitely has a style that they seem at home working with, and this heavy blues rock style never gets old for me.  As I have mentioned before, the harmony vocals just work incredibly well on this record, and what Roberts and Paris put together here is spectacular.  I'm not sure if there are some other singers added into the mix, but if not, the work from these two guys is top shelf, to be sure.

"Creep" is likely to throw listeners for a loop, with its demonic-vocal spoken intro and the, well, creepy vocal approach Roberts uses to start the verse sections.  Being 100% candid, this is a dark track musically, with a chilling, haunting style running throughout the song.  The solo, which is the finest on the entire album, shifts from a smooth string-bender, using some discordant tones, to a high-speed fret-runner near the end of the initial run, before bleeding under the closing turns through the chorus.  I say "bleeding under" because even as the chorus is sung repeatedly to close the song, the frenetic guitar acrobatics continue, with Roberts really going off near the end.  Definitely a top four song for me, all depending upon how I choose to arrange my favorites here.  Guitar fans are going to love this track, I have zero doubt!

Those demonic vocals pop up on "If I Told You" again, both at the intro and later on in the track, but generally speaking, this is a more straight-forward melodic hard rocker, with another great (but too short!) guitar solo from Roberts.  Spittle delivers some really good drum work here, with some hard-hitting fills and a sharp style that I find myself really appreciating here.  

"Lonely Bones" is the other top four track for me on this record, combining the hard-edged bluesy approach with that haunting, creepy style used in "Creep", but with some big, gang vocals on the slick "whoa oh ohs" used throughout the track.  Punchy drums, a solid bass line, hooky guitars, and smooth-yet-gritty lead vocals...yep, this song pretty much has everything that I could want from a track on this record.  Really, really good stuff here that I again find myself hitting repeat on.

"And We All Fall Down" uses some 80s rock keyboards (think Bon Jovi) combined with a slicker, poppier songwriting style to deliver an uptempo rocker that would find its way onto the tracklisting of several of the melodic rock albums being released by Frontiers Records bands today.  Another fun guitar solo is dropped into the mix here, and by this point in the record, I find it hard to come up with new ways to express just what an incredible job Roberts does as a vocalist.  He just nails the delivery and all the nuances and subtleties of handling the lead vocals on an album such as this seem to come naturally to him.  It seems obvious to me that Roberts was paying close attention to the Elefante brothers back in the early days of the band, and possibly took some lessons away from John Elefante's time in the legendary progressive rock band Kansas, as well.

Speaking of prog rock, "Lucid" is a bit of a curveball on the record, sounding more in line with 70s prog than 80s AOR or 90s/2000s melodic rock.  Think later Beatles, maybe some Electric Light Orchestra, and even hints of theatrical era Alice Cooper, with some quirky synthesizer effects at play in the verse sections of this mid-tempo number.  Not my favorite track, but definitely not throw-away material, either, "Lucid" expands upon the band's influences and presents a song that is more dependent upon synthesizers, along with vocal harmonies and layered musical textures, to set the mood than thundering drums and screaming guitars.     

"Come To Me" has a keyboard intro and opening drum line that are VERY much like the song "I've Got A Lot To Learn" by The Storm, which is a good thing, as I love that band and song.  Aside from that keyboard line, however, this is a bit more restrained song, more in the AOR ballad territory than anything else on this album, and The Brave proves they are more than capable of handling this style of song.  Roberts unleashes a great solo heading into the last runs through the chorus, filled with emotion and intensity, and his smooth vocal delivery is on full display here.  I could easily hear this song performed by the original version of the band on Battle Cries, but I honestly believe Roberts' singing and guitar playing are both miles ahead of where the band was at that time, and this song is an excellent bridge between The Brave of the past and where the band is now.

"Love: Automatic" closes the record, and once again we are treated to a hook-filled melodic rocker with a catchy, sing-along chorus, a fun guitar solo, and more of those killer harmony vocals that have highlighted so much of this record.  Uplifting and positive in nature, "Love: Automatic" is probably the perfect closing song for this record (at least of the dozen tunes presented here), as it leaves the listener on a musical high, combining all of the elements that make Evie's Little Garden such an excellent record from start to finish!

Lyrically, the album does not apologize for who the band is or what they believe, as The Brave lays it all out in the open from the very first track.  While a lot of Christian bands today choose to tackle social issues and leave some of their lyrics more open to interpretation and introspection, The Brave hearkens back to a day when singing about Jesus and boldly professing His Word was perfectly acceptable and the point.  While that may not be for everyone, and while it may drive a few listeners away, the hope is that the message also draws some listeners in, as well, providing hope and love and truth to those who may be seeking such things.  

The production is handled here by Roberts who does an excellent job of not being too heavy-handed, not too slick, and not trying to recreated the chrome-like polish of the Elefante Brothers sound from that debut Battle Cries album.  The instruments are each given life and room to breathe, and I particularly enjoy the drum sound and the excellent backing vocals used throughout the album.  Roberts proves himself far more than capable of handling the lead vocals for these new songs, and I'm sure he can tackle anything on the Trust album, as well, plus he's a top-notch guitar player that should garner more attention after this album.  Paris is solid on bass, but is irreplaceable on harmony vocals, and the drummer, Spittle, really adds a spark of energy to these tracks; the man is a rock drummer, through and through, with no quirky jazz fills or off-tempo rhythms to distract from the straight-forward,  punchy attitude of this batch of melodic hard rock songs.

Whether you are a fan of the band from back in the day, or are simply seeking some killer melodic hard rock from a new source, I can't stress enough how good this record is.  Pretty much guaranteed to be in the Top 10 of 2021, Evie's Little Garden is an absolute must-have for fans of the genre.  Available as a digital download pretty much anywhere, you can also order the CD directly from the band HERE.  I truly wish a label would pick this album up so it could get more distribution, more attention, and a broader spectrum of potential fans, but who knows if that will happen.  Once you get the record and fall in love with it, which you will, make sure you spread the word on your favorite socials so that The Brave can continue moving forward with outstanding music such as that found on Evie's Little Garden.  

Rating: A truly crankable comeback!  Crank this to an amazing 9 and let's hope we don't have to wait decades for another record from The Brave!

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**FLASHBACK** HOLY SOLDIER "Last Train"

 

(c) 1992 Word Records

1. Virtue & Vice
2. Crazy
3. Hallow's Eve
4. Gimme Shelter
5. Love Is On The Way
6. Dead End Drive
7. Tuesday Mourning
8. Fairweather Friend
9. Last Train

Steven Patrick--Vocals
Jamie Cramer--Guitars
Scott Soderstrom--Guitars
Andy Robbins--Bass
Terry "The Animal" Russell--Drums

The 1990s were rough for pretty much any hard rock/hair metal band around, and the Christian rock industry was not immune to the damage inflicted by the Nirvana/Pearl Jam/Alice In Chains crowd.  However, as is frequently the case, the backlash against more melodic genres was a bit slower to hit the Christian scene, and several big-named Christian metal bands managed to release some killer albums during the first part of the 1990s.  Holy Soldier was definitely one of those bands.

Michael Cutting is gone, and Scott Sonderstrom is in on guitars, but other than that change, the Holy Soldier train kept rolling along with this, their sophomore release.  Sure, there is a bit more of a bluesy sound to this effort and a tad bit less "hair", but there is no mistaking that this is still Holy Soldier (trust me...there would be PLENTY of mistaking that fact on the next studio album when the "grunge factor" would kick in).  Steven Patrick's soaring vocals are still in top form here, proving equally powerful on hard-edged rockers like "Virtue & Vice", "Crazy", "Hallow's Eve", and "Dead End Drive", as well as the soaring ballad work of "Tuesday Mourning".  It's interesting to hear Patrick tackle the Rolling Stones classic, "Gimme Shelter", and I really enjoy the Holy Solider spin on this song, but I am willing to bet that most Stones fans would shudder at the band's approach.  But, to my ears, nowhere does Patrick deliver a more complete performance than on the album-closing title track, "Last Train", which finds the singer delivering a mournful, bluesy moan approach he had not shown before.  When combined with the exceptionally powerful lyrics of this song, I think this last track, with this line-up, is truly the pinnacle of the band's career.   They even managed to get their label to put together a video for this stellar song.  Check it out below...

Musically, I think the band really found their sound on this disc, finding that perfect balance between the Sunset Strip sound that got them their record deal and the blusier work that they incorporate on several tracks.  They do nothing to alienate their fan base, and, much like Cinderella and Great White altered their approach as they matured, incorporating more of a bluesy style, Holy Soldier sounds more like a band who is growing than they do a band in some sort of transitional or experimental phase (again, that would come later).  Soderstrom holds his own on guitar, and he and Cramer again deliver a brilliant axe-tandem that could compete with any duo of this time period in the genre, in my opinion.  Robbins and Russell provide a solid backbone for the music to be built upon, as well, and, as a band, these guys can write and execute a hook as well as anyone at the time.  In fact, had these guys been on a major label at the time, instead of the Christian-only label they were signed to, I find it hard to believe these guys would not have been all over hard rock and Top 40 radio, as well as MTV.  They had the look, the sound, the style, and, at one time, the fan following that major labels were after...they just also had an uncompromising message that they were not willing to sacrifice.  Remember, there was just Stryper out on the frontline as far as Christian hard rock and metal being accepted by the mainstream at this time; there was no Skillet, no Red, no 12 Stones, no Thousand Foot Krutch, and no Brian "Head" Welch at this time to garner mainstream radio or video play.

Produced once again by David Zaffiro, this album has a killer sound with nice, full production and a solid mix.  Band pictures and lyrics are included in the packaging, which is always a nice touch.  Overall, this is an excellent album from one of my favorite bands of the genre, Christian or secular.  Sadly, this would be the swan song for Patrick, who would exit the band for a solo career, taking with him several song ideas that would have made for a great third Holy Soldier album (several end up on his solo record, Red Reign).  As it stands, the band...ahem...soldiered on without Patrick, releasing the heavily grunge-influenced Promise Man album and a live record (which actually saw the surprise return of Patrick on a couple of classic-era songs), before disbanding.  Fortunately, this album, and the band's also-excellent debut record are still out there, reminding fans of the genre that Holy Soldier was truly a force to be reckoned with at one time.

Rating:  Crank this one to a most excellent 9, with only nine songs likely being the reason it's not a 10!

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BLOODLINES "Hevel"

 

(c) 2021 Facedown Records

1. Lotus
2. Devil (featuring Brook Reeves)
3. Colder
4. Ruah
5. Hevel

Alexis Rodriguez--Vocals

Daniel Camacho--Guitars

Aldo Mayorga--Bass

Matthew Benavides--Drums

Fresh on the heels of the blistering new War Of Ages EP, Facedown Records unleashes another pummeling mini-album of metalcore, this time from Bloodlines.  Entitled Hevel, which translates from Hebrew to "meaningless", the EP focuses on crushing, start-stop-start riffs, hard-hitting drums, typical-of-the-genre harsh vocals, and some really tight, clean vocal harmonies, wrapped around several heavy breakdowns, some surprisingly progressive moments...and a few surprises thrown into the mix to keep Bloodlines from becoming just another band in the metalcore world.  

With most of the material here, Bloodlines takes a route not wholly unlike what bands like Fit For A King have adopted on their last couple of albums, or even fellow Texans, War Of Ages.  However, Bloodlines goes a bit further in differentiating themselves by incorporating pretty atypical instrumentation for the genre.  For example, Bloodlines incorporates hip-hop-styled electronic drum patterns into a couple of tracks here, specifically the newest single, "Lotus", and what may be their best, most diverse song, "Devil".  With "Lotus", the programmed drums hit near the end of the track, giving the track a different feel as the screamfest comes to a close.  It threw me for a loop the first couple of times through, but after repeated listens, I have to say it works pretty well and isn't the distraction it was initially.  "Lotus" also features some pretty good clean vocals on the chorus sections, and the bottom end of the track (and the entire EP, for that matter) is really tight, really heavy.

"Devil" may be one of the angriest songs I have heard in a long, LONG time.  Were it not for the fact that Bloodlines is a Christian band, and the lyrics to the song leave little doubt as to that fact, the truly demonic-sounding vocals at the end of "Devil" would send chills up my spine.  If you've ever wondered what the sound of the Biblical gnashing of teeth might sound like, you need only scan forward to about 3:30 in "Devil" (you can't miss it....it follows more of those electronic drums I mentioned), and you will hear brutal vocal anguish in a way I can't say I've heard before.

Those harsh vocals are quickly put in the rearview by the clean, melodic vocals that intro the album's lead single, "Colder".  This track incorporates some of that more radio-ready metalcore style that I alluded to on "Lotus", with some definite crossover appeal that carried the track into some non-metal/metalcore formats.  There are definitely more melodic, clean vocals on "Colder" than on the previous two tracks, and the band makes heavy use of harmony parts on the chorus, which works really well.  Even the harsh vocals don't take on the brutality level of something like "Devil", and the breakdown here is pretty sick, but non-threatening.  The lead riff on the track is one that instantly gets stuck in my head, and "Colder" is a track that stays with me for a long time every time I hear it.  "Colder" has spent quite a bit of time on various Christian hard rock and metal format stations, and really did a good job of introducing the band to the scene.  Check out the video for that track below.

"Ruah" is another straight ahead scorcher, from the aggressive guitar that intros the track to the barked vocals that Rodriguez attacks with straight out of the gate.  Multiple layers of harsh vocals carry the pre-chorus into a pretty melodic chorus with really strong clean singing soaring across some thick rhythm guitar riffs and really solid drum work.  Again, not as brutal as "Devil", and a bit more melodic overall than "Lotus", "Ruah" is likely the third single from this EP (at least it would be if I was in charge of the promotion), and I think it has the potential to do well across multiple hard formats.  Still a punishing track, featuring a solid breakdown coming out of a spoken word section...more of a prayer than anything, inviting God to breathe His breath of life upon His people..."Ruah" really has a more progressive feel to it than a lot of the music of this genre.  Good stuff.

The EP closes with the title track, which is where those progressive elements I mentioned in the first paragraph really pop up.  "Hevel" starts off very soft, very melodic, completely clean as far as vocal style, and you are lulled into a false belief that the band may actually be tackling a ballad.  Where's my Zippo to thrust into the air?!  In fact, during each of the verse sections this softer approach is utilized, with the drums taking on something of a more controlled marching cadence in places, more of a jazz style in others, but the chorus...whoa...the chorus unleashes the harsh vocals and the thick rhythm guitar and bass cords, going from a quiet, contemplative sounding track to a swirling morass of aggression and angst.  The dichotomy of styles here works really well, and while I definitely wouldn't call this a ballad (no slow dancing, for sure), there is a musicality here that I think will end up serving Bloodlines well in setting themselves apart in this genre. 

How far Bloodlines goes is obviously totally up in the air at this point, but Hevel is a great starting point for the band.  This is a debut EP that makes a statement, and I hope that the band can catch on as the opener for some touring band, or get onto some festival stages, to get themselves broader exposure.  Available digitally pretty much everywhere, you can also order the CD here (I believe vinyl is also available).     

Rating:  Crushingly crankable!  Blast this at an 8!

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WAR OF AGES "Rhema"

                                                             (c) 2021 Facedown Records

1. Sleight Of Hand
2. Pyrite
3. Unspoken
4. No Altars

Leroy Hamp--Vocals

Steve Brown--Guitars

Jack Daniels--Guitars

Elisha Mullins--Bass

Kalem Luebchow--Drums

Sixteen minutes and change.  That is all you have to brace yourself for the (mostly) full-on metalcore onslaught that is War Of Ages new EP, Rhema.  16:02, is the length of the entire digital EP, to be precise.  That is not very long.  You can almost get your oil changed in the same amount of time...which, come to think of it, would be a great way to spend the time!  The point is that War Of Ages has just these four songs and 16 minutes to melt your face and pummel your body with crushing riffs, thundering drums, and harshly barked metalcore vocals.

And they do exactly that!

If you are a follower of the metalcore scene, in general, or the Christian metalcore scene, specifically, you likely have already heard half of this EP, as both "No Altars" and "Sleight Of Hand" have been previously released as singles.  "No Altars" which debuted in June of 2021, may be my favorite War Of Ages track ever, with its absolutely crushing twin guitar attack and Luebchow's massive drum sound all combining with Hamps signature vocals to deliver an absolutely scorching, yet somehow still melodic, slab of metalcore that fans of the band have likely been salivating over for several months now.  This is one potent track, both musically and lyrically, with Hamp barking in the first verse: 

"My God will set fire to your altars!  

Pray to your gods while burning in your disbeliefs!  

You'll be the first to admit that you've abandoned...

All hope in your fight for integrity!"

Before the melodic pre-chorus sings:

"Oh, God, eternal

Reach down, You see all that I am.

You know my heart is yearning.

All else will fade away."

And then roaring through the chorus...

"Fall to your knees!

Bow down to the one true King!"

 

"Sleight Of Hand" is a bit more chaotic at the outset than "No Altars", with discordant guitars crashing their way through a brief intro before the machine gun burst of the drums bursts the song into its true form and Hamp comes out ferociously snarling at his angriest!  "Sleight Of Hand" of course, still maintains the melodic sensibility that War Of Ages is known to weave throughout the brutality of their songs, and an early guitar solo, along with the layered singing portions of the song, serve to set what War Of Ages does apart from so many others in the field.  Equally as crushing and intricate as "No Altars", "Sleight Of Hand" is another WoA track that has wormed its way to the very top of my faves list in a rapid ascension.  Truly great stuff here.

The other two tracks here are, as of yet, unreleased.  "Pyrite" is another all-out-angry crushfest, with some of the most interesting drum patterns on the EP, and an absolutely frantic-yet-melodic guitar line running through the pre-chorus sections.  Make no mistake, the jackhammer rhythm guitars and absolutely devastating drums (do I detect some blast beats in one brief section?!) set a tempo that threatens to launch the track right out of your speaker....until a sudden tempo and stylistic shift turn the song completely on its ear for about 40 seconds as a gorgeous, soulful guitar solo threads its way through the darkness that Hamp's throaty death growls delivers.  There is a LOT going on here, and I suspect fans of As I Lay Dying are going to find themselves hitting repeat, well, repeatedly on this one.

"Unspoken" sets the listener back on his/her heels immediately with the bluesy, jazzy style of guitars that intro the song.  Not kidding, I thought that somehow the preview tracks I was sent got mislabeled somehow by my computer, as those first 15 to 20 seconds are completely out of left field.  However, once the melodic clean vocals hit with a hint of what is to come on the chorus, my brain rights itself and is instantly sucked into this more mid-tempo metal assault.  Tempo-wise, this track treads very similar ground to what Fit For A King has done on its last couple of albums, although I have to say the solo guitar work here...along with Luebchow's absolutely insane drum work...set War Of Ages apart from their metalcore counterparts.

How this band has not become more well-known is beyond me.  Hamp and Brown have been hammering away at your eardrums and skulls as War Of Ages for nearly two decades now, and every release has been a blistering, sonic assault on the senses.  With the addition of Daniels in 2013, the band stepped things up even further, and with a full line-up that has been in place for four years, there is a chemistry that is undeniable on the last two albums and now this new EP.  Will Rhema be the step that launches the band into the realms of the metalcore elite?  There are 16 minutes and two seconds of melodic metalcore fury and aggression on Rhema that say it may just be the ticket.  If not, stay tuned, as I have no doubt that War Of Ages has even more to crush you with in the near future!

Available digitally, on a limited edition vinyl, and CD, snag Rhema today at     www.warofagesmetal.com and maybe schedule an oil change during which you can absorb the melodic ferocity of this EP!

Rating:  Short, to be sure, but blisteringly crankable!  Spin this up to an 8, with two or three more songs likely pushing this into 9, or higher, territory!  Get it now, metalcore fans!

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DEVIN WILLIAMS "Every Eye"

 

(c) 2021 Independent Release

1. Every Eye
2. Sunshine
3. Riverside
4. Sunshine (Acoustic)

Devin Williams--Lead Vocals, Guitars

Jeremy Holderfield--Guitars

Bass--Brent Milligan

Drums--Lester Estelle, Jr.

Additional Musicians

Andrew Stanton--Guitar Solo on "Riverside"

Marco Pera--Guitar Solo on "Every Eye"

Jonathan Yudkin--Strings

When Devin Williams calls in his friends for a project, he holds nothing back!  Featuring Jeremy Holderfield (Seventh Day Slumber), Lester Estelle, Jr. (Pillar), Brent Milligan (Steven Curtis Chapman/Seventh Day Slumber), Andrew Stanton (Disciple), and Marco Pera (Amongst The Giants/Disciple), Williams has put together a powerhouse of an EP with Every Eye that incorporates elements of modern hard rock, southern rock, and melodic rock that should tide fans over until he is able to put together a full release.  Delayed by COVID and life, in general, this EP manages to pack a punch, tug at the heartstrings, and give the listener pause all within the span of three new songs.

The EP kicks off with the big Christian radio hit and title track, "Every Eye".  Taking inspiration directly from Revelations, "Every Eye" is about the return of Christ and every man, woman, and child in the world knowing of the return of the King.  But also intertwined is an observation about the state of the world today, a world which has turned from God and His Word, as Williams warns that "Now is the time to get it right, Before He steps out on the clouds", at which point "Every Eye will see You, The mystery is finally revealed...and all the world will know that You're alive!".  He echoes these sentiments in the liner notes, where he professes "I feel it's time to prepare our hearts for Jesus' return, whether it's next year or 100 years from now."  Musically, this aggressive rocker kicks off with haunting guitars chords before making way for a big, chunky guitar riff and thundering drums that punch this track into high gear.  Williams' smooth vocal delivery glides through the verse sections before ratcheting up the urgency, and dropping in a bit of an edge, on the chorus sections.  The solo from Pera is excellent, with a strong sense of melody without fading from the power of the song, and a vocal bridge with a nearly spoken delivery from Williams adds to the full scope of what the song delivers, stylistically.  While Williams has had numerous albums and songs hit multiple Christian rock charts, I have to say that "Every Eye" is very possibly my favorite track in his catalog up to this point.  Check it out.   

From here, the EP takes a much calmer turn with "Sunshine".  Introing with a soft build of guitars and strings over a bed of programmed elements, the song is, for me, a showcase for the vocal gifts of Williams.  Acoustic guitars accompany Williams' voice throughout, with strings adding to the lush feel of the track.  Following the second chorus there is a bit of a musical build that hints at hitting power ballad territory, but nothing really comes of it other than the drums getting a bit punchier in sound.  Regardless, this is a very nicely constructed song, and the string section is a really nice element here, with several flourishes from the violin section.  But, again, it is Williams' voice that is the real draw here, and there is no denying the vocal gifts of the man.  If you are willing to look for more than just the edgy rock anthem of "Every Eye", you are likely to find something to enjoy here.    

Current single, "Riverside" is up next, stylistically splitting the difference between the full-blown radio rock of "Every Eye" and the balladry of "Sunshine".  The Southern side of Williams shines forth here, with a lot of soul in the mix of this song that invokes the imagery of the old-time river baptisms.  While the tempo is not as full throttle as "Every Eye", "Riverside" hits hard, nonetheless, and Andrew Stanton of Disciple really adds to that with an absolutely stellar guitar solo.  While too short (in my opinion), Stanton absolutely shines with his string-bending fret run here, and I would love to hear these two work together again in the very near future.  In fact, the collection of talent here really shines on this track more than anywhere else on the EP, as it is filled with punch and power, but also given enough room to breathe.  Estelle's drums are snappy, and Milligan's bass work here, while not flashy, really serves to add to the power of "Riverside".  Williams is fully in command here, vocally, with his rich voice really hitting its stride in the soaring chorus, and his conviction to the music and message really comes through in his performance.  Yet another top five track in the Williams catalog for me, and a song that I really hope gets a strong run on radio.  

The acoustic offering of "Sunshine" here, to be honest, isn't staggeringly different than the original.  I'm typically not really a fan of acoustic mixes, although this is well done.  I would have far preferred a 4th new song here, but there's no harm in this track's inclusion, even if it doesn't really offer up anything new.

The production on this project is top-notch, with Holderfield and Kellen McGregor, respectively, handling the producing and mixing.  The mix is excellent, with no muddiness at all, and the guitars especially coming across as having individual, unique voices.  I also love the drum sound that Estelle brings to the table, and a big round of applause goes to the entire production team for putting so much into...and getting so much out of...these new tracks.

Overall, this is a great little EP, and at just $8...for an actual physical CD that will arrive signed by Williams...the price is absolutely unbeatable!  Head on over to www.devinw.com and snag your copy today.  Christian rockers, you will not be disappointed! 

Rating:  Again, I don't love rating EPs, but to deny the crank-factor of this little project would be foolish.  Crank Every Eye to an 8 and let's hope we get a full album in 2022!

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THE PROTEST "Death Stare"

 

(c) 2021 Rockfest Records

1. Paper Tiger
2. Greater
3. Show Up To The Showdown
4. Voices
5. Hell To Hold You
6. The Mountain

Josh Bramlett--Lead Vocals, Guitars

Adam Sadler--Lead Guitars

TJ Colwell--Rhythm Guitars

Jarob Bramlett--Drums, Percussion

Indiana's The Protest come roaring back with an EP of new material that follows up the band's 2018 Rockfest Records debut, Legacy.  This new release features six new tracks (two have already been released as singles), with five of the six being up-tempo rockers, with the sixth being something of a ballad, although don't expect slow dancing and big-haired power balladry here.

The band picks up right where they left off on Legacy with the ferocious "Paper Tiger", which comes off every bit as heavy and aggressive as the previous album's title track.  Some buzzing guitars intro the track (followed by a tiger's roar), with Jarob dropping a big drum rhythm that sets the song off on a mid-tempo-but-crushingly-heavy track that chugs toward Josh snarling and barking his way through the first verse.  On this song about letting go of the fears that hold us back, Josh does everything in his power to abuse his vocal cords, especially on the seething chorus as he exclaims...

"You're just a paper, paper tiger!  

Nothing more than a silver-tongued liar!"   

The chorus is packed full of backing shouts and chants, none of which are credited here, but there is a lot of energy packed into this 3 minute...ahem...rockfest!  A solid breakdown is also incorporated in this fun, punchy kick off for Death Stare.

"Greater" has already surged its way up the charts for many Christian rock stations (and some forward-thinking modern rock stations, as well), and is definitely one of my two or three favorite tracks from the band at this point.  Programmed elements lead the churning guitars and drums into the mix, with Josh utilizing a much more controlled vocal style here as he explains to the listener why The Protest does what it does, despite the long hours on the road and the lack of acceptance among their secular peers.

"I don't do it for the money,

Don't do it for the fame,

As long as someone listens, don't care who knows my name.

I don't do it for the glory

Don't do it for the game,

I do it all to make them see that this all for something Greater than me!"

A truly powerful message about self-sacrifice, not only for doing what you love to do, but also doing it for the One who loves you!  The video is a solid performance piece, as well...check it out...

The EP's current single, "Show Up To The Showdown" is up next, and the band takes a bit of a different tack here, utilizing a sparser sound in the verse sections, followed by a big fist-in-the-air chanting chorus, complete with gang-shouted "heys" scattered throughout.  Jarob's drums have a huge presence throughout this track, as does an uncredited bass line on this thick rocker about standing up to the challenges put in your path.  The band recorded a really fun video for this track as well, which can be seen below...

From here, the band launches into another high energy rocker, this one a bit more uptempo and more straight forward than some of the others, with "Voices" tackling depression, negative thoughts, and self-doubt that creep into our minds from time to time.  The longest track on the EP, "Voices" still clocks in at just over four minutes, and is just straight-forward, guitar-driven hard rock from start to finish.  Some excellent guitar work from Colwell flashes through the track, and once again, an uncredited plaer lays down a rumbling bass line that really establishes a solid structure for the rest of the guitars to grind across the top of.  Once again, Josh spends more time singing than roaring here, especially on the verse sections, while he does get a bit more aggressive on the chorus.  There's a very cool vocal bridge that showcases the angrier side of his vocals, when he starts off in a controlled-but-snarled whisper that builds to a full-on scream as he intones...

"I've got this sickness,

It eats me to the bone...

I'll never make it if I try to do it all alone!

I've got this sickness,

It's poisoning my mind...

I'm climbing out of this and now I'm taking back my LIFE!!!"

A tough, tough chug-chug breakdown follows before the band revisits the chorus again.  A really, really good song that I find myself returning to a lot.

"Hell To Hold You" is the ballad of the EP, but again, don't think Homecoming slow dance material here.  A thick, bouncing bass line really drives the verses, with Jarob's drums keeping pace, before the guitars jump into the pre-chorus and chorus sections, with some big "whoa-oh-ohs" accompanying the chorus lyrics...

"Never knew I needed You 'til now...

A part of me was missing.

There's nothing that can keep me from You now.

As long as I'm still breathing, 

My heart is in Your hands.

I'm alive again...

No matter what we've been through

I'd fight hell to hold you."

While the first section of the chorus seems fairly obvious, I find myself asking if that that last part Christ making a statement to the singer.  Hmmmm.....  Some programmed strings are subtly woven into the mix, with them being the most obvious as the song fades out at the end.  This song really surprised me, honestly, but I like the band taking the chance and throwing the curveball when the rest of the record was nothing but heat (sorry...baseball references are what I do...).

"The Mountain" is an absolutely quirky rocker that I can't help but love.  I would imagine it will be very difficult to pull off live due to a lot of programmed stops and starts with the guitars, but Jarob's drums are an absolute treat to hear on this track as they bounce and prance throughout the song.  There's a big arena rock feel to the track when the guitars punch you in the gut, but those sparse moments in between are what really gives this plucky song its true feel...at least for me.  This song has a lot of Skillet styling to my ear, but it is fresh and definitely not some sort of rip-off track.  This is still purely The Protest, throwing back to some of their earlier, pre-Rockfest Records material.  I will be massively disappointed if this song isn't released as a single, as I absolutely love what the guys pull off here and they sound like they had a blast doing it.

Not even 21 minutes in length, the EP should seem much shorter than it does.  However, the high quality of the songwriting and the top-notch performances keep you so engaged you really don't realize how wrapped up you become in each and every track and, at least to me, the EP doesn't feel as short as it actually is.  Maybe that is due in part to the high amount of energy the band pours into each track, wiping you out as you listen!  Very, very well done overall!

I do have a complaint, but it isn't lodged so much at the band as it is at Rockfest Records.  Let me preface this by saying I love Rockfest Records, I buy all of their releases, and I am in awe of their line-up of artists.  That being said, I have to admit to being upset about the way this EP was handled, for a couple of reasons.  First, it is packaged about as simply as anything I have ever received from anyone, with no lyrics, no credits, no thank-yous, and no band info.  Nothing.  It is a simple cardboard slipcase with the cover art on one side and the track listing on the other.  Period.  And, yeah, I could live with that, if I wasn't charged more than $11 for FORCED Priority shipping (there was no First Class option) for this practically weightless CD (there is no jewel case or digipack, so seriously...this thing weighs next to nothing).  That means I paid nearly $20 for a six song EP that isn't signed or anything.  Normally, Rockfest does an amazing job with the packages they put together, and yes, there was a big package with a shirt and trading cards and other things, but the people who only want the CD shouldn't be charged a ton on shipping to make up the cost of the bigger packages.  Trust me when I say this CD did NOT cost $11.50 (or whatever the exact cost was) to ship, even with the bubble mailers factored in.  Hopefully the goal here is not to drive even more people to digital purchasing because I will always be a CD-first guy.

Regardless of that issue (which I really hope was a clerical error), Death Stare is well worth tracking down and is an incredible effort on the part of The Protest!  I have thoroughly enjoyed it since I received it, and if I have spun it fewer than 30 times in the past two weeks or so, I'd be shocked.  If this was a hold-over project as the band works on their next full release, I can't wait to hear what they have in store for us next!

Rating:  Definitely crankable!  Crank Death Stare to a powerful 9, even at only six songs!  It really is that good!

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MICHAEL FEIGHAN declares "I Still Believe"

 

 

Michael Feighan, most likely notable to readers as the long-time drummer for Whitecross, has stepped outside of the arena rock genre...and has stepped out front of his drum kit...to release his newest single as the lead singer.  "I Still Believe" is a powerful, contemporary rock ballad that pays tribute to those who have served our country.  Possessing a smooth tenor, Feighan delivers a very touching song that just seems perfect for America in these troubling times.  Feighan told me, "I feel this is a song needed for our country right now because of how much division there is.  I originally wanted to release it July 4th, but wasn't ready for that release date.  But, God had other plans and with all that is happening in Afghanistan right now, all I can say is God's timing is perfect!"

Enlisting a group of A-list players, Feighan has crafted an exceptionally poignant song about love of one's country, honoring a call to duty, and in some instances, making the ultimate sacrifice for that country.   "I hope those that listen to my new song walk away with hope that our country is not lost, and that there is still hope for this great country of ours, and what it was founded on, which is God."

Featuring beautiful piano work from Jim Cox (Bozz Scaggs band), Andrew Synoweic on guitar, and the legendary Bissonette brothers, Matt on bass, and Gregg on drums, "I Still Believe" is the type of song that should easily defy pigeon-holing and cross genre boundaries, particularly Adult Contemporary Rock and, most likely, modern country, which has shown a willingness throughout the years to embrace nearly any good patriotic song...which "I Still Believe" definitely qualifies as.  Check out the emotional video below....but plan ahead and grab a box of tissues...

 I fully expect this song to be played alongside "God Bless The USA" at Independence Day and Memorial Day gatherings for years to come, as it is a truly well-performed and passionately delivered song.  Produced by the legendary Chris Lord-Alge, "I Still Believe" dropped as a single at the end of August, with Michael's debut solo EP expected out in October.  Be sure to keep an eye out here at PositiveRockReview for that, as well as at Michael's own website, www.michaelfeighan.com .  You can find Michael's socials linked on that site, as well.

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