Michael Cutting: Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Mandolin, Vocals
Andy Robbins: Bass
Scott Soderstrom: Electric & Acoustic Guitars
Holy Soldier is one of those underrated 90's Christian bands in my opinion. They burst onto the scene with their self titled album in 1990 and followed it up with the awesome Last Train in 1992. Then it was radio silence it seemed. We wouldn't hear from the band again until 1995's Promise Man. If you were hoping for more high energy, in your face metal like from the previous two albums then you may be disappointed. I don't mean that in a bad way, but Promise Man is a big departure from their previous sound.
Now signed to ForeFront, they feature a new lead vocalist. Eric Wayne took over the vocal duties after Steven Patrick left to pursue a solo career. With the change, the who sound of the band seem to "evolve" with the time. Metal was on it's way out, quickly being replaced with that Seattle grunge sound. In order to stay relevant, I guess the band or the label thought they should change with the times? I really don't know the back story, but Promise Man is the start of what I like to call Holy Soldier 2.0.
I remember when I first heard this album during my senior year of High School and I thought, "wow"...is this even the same band? I wasn't sure at first if I liked this new sound, but being that I listed to a lot of music in the mid to late 90's I ended up playing this album quite a bit. With each consecutive listen the songs began to grow on me. The opening title track features a great bass line before you get Eric Wayne's booming, soulful deep vocals. The band helped write all the songs together, but the liner notes also give credit to Michael Anderson for his help on Promise Man. I'm not sure what his contribution exactly was, but I can "hear" his talent in this almost bluesy sounding song.
In 1995 Holy Soldier's new label, ForeFront, would release a tribute album, One Way, of the Christian rock pioneer Larry Norman. Holy Soldier contributed to the album with their rendition of Larry's song Why Don' You Look Into Jesus. This same song would also find it's way onto Promise Man. I can't say that at that time I was all that familiar with Larry Norman's catalogue, including this song, but it has become one of my favorites. Because I heard Holy Soldier's version before the original, I prefer their version, but regardless of who recorded the song it's a great song.
There are several songs that remain favorites of mine to this day, including Cover Me, Grind & Sand. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Love Conquers All, the album's one ballad. The message is fine, I just don't care for the sound of the song...just seems out of place on the album.
While Promise Man may not be one of my all time favorite albums (from the band or just in general), it is fun to re-visit it from time to time. I believe this album did fairly well in the Christian music community, evening winning a Dove Award for the title track, but would ultimately be a "one and done" with ForeFront. One additional album would be released after this, Encore, on Spaceport Records. This isn't a hard album to find physically if you're looking to add it to your library.
Oh man, where do I even start? Released in 1989 on the Regency Records label, this full length debut album was the stuff of dreams for many Christian metal fans. You can stand this album up against any secular metal album from the late 1980's and it'll compete. To take one of their song titles, I was hooked on a good thing...this album ranks up there as my all time favorite.
If you've clicked on the songs above and like what you hear, you aren't the only one. This album is legendary dare I say in some music circles, however this would be the one and only album by the band as they had already disbanded before the album launched. Yeah, it's sad because this group of guys had so much promise. I heard a interview not that long ago w/ the lead singer, Dean Mariano and he stated that shortly before they were to hit to road to perform at the iconic Cornerstone festival in 1989, their drummer, John Fowler, was asked to sit in and play for Red Alert, better known as Steelheart now. The two bands shared a studio and were great friends. With Red Alert in a pinch (they were playing a showcase for MCA Records that evening) they agreed to let John play and little known to them that would be the start of the end of Rage of Angels. Dean said after hours in the studio John came out and apologized to the guys, saying he was offered a million dollar recording contract with Red Alert...which he took. Dean knew that finding a replacement would be difficult. I guess finding talented Christian musicians in the 80's was a lot harder than it is today) so the band members went their own way. Frank DiCostanzo would join John in Red Alert who would become Steelheart.
I first learned of the band thanks to the hard to find East Coast Metal compilation where they had their song Reason to Rock. Another song of theirs (Rock for the Rock) was featured on the album Heavy Righteous Metal compilation, however I don't really recall "discovering" the band until I picked up the Classic Metal compilation on cassette at a local Camelot Music store and heard their song Don't Give Up. At the time I didn't listen to secular rock music, but listening to the album today I can understand how it would have stood amongst it's secular peers.
The guys were all in their early 20's at the time the band formed and young in their faith. One of the guys' fathers encouraged the band to grow in their faith, citing they had the ability to take the good news of Jesus to people that would never listen to him for example. He set up a weekly Bible study at his home for the guys and it wasn't long before the guys grew stronger in their faith. I don't know if the songs were written before or after these Bible study sessions, but you can hear their faith come out pretty boldly in many of the songs.
Reason to Rock
So let me tell you for your own good,
it's gonna leave you in shock.
Christ is the reason you live,
And He's the only way to rock.
Hooked on a Good Thing
Somehow you knew I was burning,
You put me under control.
You took away all the fear in my heart,
And love has finally taken it's toll.
Since you came and made your connection,
My life has turned completely around.
You've filled me with your Holy affection.
In you eternal life can be found.
Rock for the Rock
If you only you would just believe,
And realize He died for you.
He'd come inside your heart today,
And show you love you never knew.
What's so great about this album is that every track is a banger. I had this on cassette growing up and it's one of the rare albums that I never found myself fast forwarding through a song to get to another. Each song has it's own sound with the musical abilities of the guys are top notch. Dean has a fantastic range and can hit some very high notes a la Michael Sweet (Stryper). Frank and Greg can shred on the guitar like it's nobody's business and John's drums are second to none. I'd put him up there on the Mount Rushmore of drummers alongside Robert Sweet (Stryper) and Ted Kirkpatrick (Tourniquet).
Some of the highlight tracks for me would include Somebody's Watching You, Hooked on a Good Thing, Rock for the Rock and Don't Give Up. Actually, all of the songs are fantastic so it's hard to pick favorites. Dean has a great melodic voice and when the others join in on some of the choruses it's just magic. Rock for the Rock sounds like it could have been recorded by Stryper...the crunchy guitar and drums remind me of my favorite guys in the black and yellow.
It truly is a shame that this band didn't go one to create more music because this album is that good. Others must agree with me because it's always in demand and hard to find. The supply is far less than the demand on the secondary market. It's never been re-released or got that slick remaster like many albums from the late 80's have received today. If you are able to source a copy of the CD, expect to pay anywhere between $50 and $80 US dollars. With Regency Records being long out of business I don't expect to see any kind of re-release anytime soon so unless you are happy streaming their music, go ahead and open your wallet and pick up this gem of an album.
Jamey Perrenot: All Guitars, Bass, Banjo, Keyboards & Programming
R. Smith Curry: Steel Guitar
Ross Holmes: Fiddle
Zac Childs: Mandolin
Amber Rowe: Background Vocals (Let's Get This Party Started)
Peyton Rowe: Background Vocals (Let's Get This Party Started)
If you've been a fan of Christian music then the name Jamie Rowe should sound familiar. For many years he was the front man for one of best rock bands, Guardian. Just like Guardian's sound evolved over the years, so has Jamie's music. I believe this is his 3rd solo album, but it's the first that I've listened to. Released in 2019 on Kivel Records as part of crowd funding, I wasn't sure what the album sounded like when I purchased it from Girder recently. Before I get into some of the tracks, let me just say if you are expecting another Guardian sounding album, you may be disappointed.
Do you remember your reaction when you first heard Darius Rucker's first solo album after leaving Hootie & the Blowfish? That's the best way I can describe This Is Home. Jamie has a great rock 'n roll voice, but does it fit the country music scene? This album is full of harmony and definitely has a country western twang in some places. I'm not saying that in a bad way, I just wasn't expecting Jamie to go this route, however after repeated listens I do like the album.
The opening track, Let's Get This Party Started is one of the best songs on the album and a great song to kick off the album. It has a great high energy sound with a booming chorus that you can't help but to sing along with.
From there we move into a mid-tempo acoustic song, Better Off Than Yesterday. If you stop and take a listen to the lyrics you will realize just how personal this song is (actually, most of his album is a very personal album) and about his upbringing. The music video (linked above) also showcases this very well. While this is a change of pace from the opening track, it's a great song and one of my favorites. Born Again is a lot like the previous track, which isn't a bad thing.
The stand out ballads if you will are the title track, This is Home and Jesus is the Way. Both songs are well written and have good sound. From here on out, the album takes a deciding country turn and while it's not bad, it's just not my cup of tea.
Life is Better features a good bit of fiddle and mandolin in an upbeat twang session. Kissin' on You is a quirky, fun song, but one that I tend to skip over when listening to the album from beginning to end. The music video is silly fun and features his wife.
All in all this is a solid album, but not may not be what some were expecting. In the liner notes Jamie credits meeting his wife Amber for being rejuvenated and writing music again. We all go through the motions of life and not everything can be a high, the valleys are all too real and do exist. Sounds like Jamie was going through some "stuff" before things took a turn and he finally realized that "this is home". A solid album and I recommend it, but if you are still a metalhead you may want to sit this one out (instead, check out what he's currently doing w/ Kalamity Kills)
A time to laugh, a time to cry, a time to be silent, a time to..."crank it up!"
Mylon & Broken Heart was one of the first Christian rock bands I was introduced to during my formidable youth years, along with Petra, Stryper and a few others. While I knew this band was a little different than some of the others I was listening to at that time, what I didn't know was of Mylon LeFevre's southern gospel roots. While I can't say I was much of a fan of his music before he formed the Broken Heart band, kudos to a guy who realized he needed to change his style to keep up w/ the times in order to keep his ministry going.
I remember seeing Mylon & Broken Heart perform in concert on several different occasions while in high school. I had most of their albums on cassette and listened to them multiple times, however until I recently picked up Crank It Up! on CD from a used bookstore, I hadn't really listened to this album in nearly 30 years. Just the other day I decided to drop it in the stereo as I did some work in my hobby room if you will and after listening through it again I thought about crafting this post. It's been far too long since I've posted anything anyhow so I figured this was a good opportunity.
The album kicks off with the title track, Crank It Up, first hearing the sound of a vehicle being started. The guitars swell, drums kick in before the first lyrics are sung. Love, love this intro. The song as a whole still sounds great. Mylon is a good vocalist to start with, then throw in the big harmony on the chorus and you've got a fun song. I thought the other night that if the whole album sounded like the first track, it would be a more memorable album as a whole.
After Crank It Up, we transition to a bass heavy track called Denomination Demolition. I grew up going to a Southern Baptist church, not really knowing anything about Presbyterian, Methodist or any of the other churches you commonly see, especially in the South. Fast forward to the current and the church I attend just left the Methodist denomination over not agreeing with the direction they were going. This song is a call to "tear down the walls of division" and to "get back to Jesus"...to condemn religion...which is man made anyhow. Seeing what is happening in some churches/denominations, I felt this song was still pretty relevant even in 2023.
A New Attitude follows and continues the trend of straight forward rock 'n roll. This is another song that is easy to sing along with, especially on the chorus. Speaking of the chorus, it's a good reminder to me personally that I need a new attitude at times, no matter what it is that I'm doing.
From hear on out on the album it kind of goes down hill...at least for my personal tastes at the age of 46. The songs aren't bad, but they just aren't rocking songs like the two opening tracks are. Most of the songs have a light rock sound like you would hear on the radio. Saxophone, female background vocals on some choruses, it's a departure from some of their previous music. If anything some of the later tracks sound like they could have been on a Mylon LeFevre solo album. There is even a cover of the James Taylor song Shower the People. I hated this song when I was young and it still doesn't doo much for me today.
By the time the 8th track rolls around things do seem to pick up a little. Heaven returns to more of a rock 'n roll sound, complete with a sing-along chorus. The lyrics are a little shallow in my opinion, but the premise of the song is pretty simple...
I'm gonna go to heaven
I'm gonna walk down the streets of gold
Ah man, while I'm in no hurry to "check out", songs like this do make you stop and think about what's to come in the afterlife and I for one am looking forward to meeting my Creator and re-uniting with family members that have already passed on.
World Changer I remember really speaking to me in my younger days. Trying to find your place in the world and what you are to do with your life is tough, especially in those tough teenage years. World Changer is all about trying to figure out God's will for your life.
I need to know what I'm supposed to do What pleases me is just pleasing You So won't You show me just before I start What is Your vision for my broken heart
I may not change the world today But I know You're changing mine World Changer And I know You've got a better way Let us see the grand design World Changer Change my world
Tracks 8 and 9 picked up the tempo on the back end of the album, but we end on a ballad? Going Home isn't a bad song, but again it sounds like something that would be better fit for a solo album of Mylon that it does a Broken Heart song. I would have rather the album end on a high note just as the album starts.
I enjoyed my listen through, however it doesn't quite stand up as much as I thought it would. There are a handful of tracks that are still great, but I think there are better Broken Heart albums in their catalog. This experience may have be going back down memory lane with a few more of their albums to see if they hold up or are any better or worse than Crank it Up. This is a rather easy and cheap album to find on the secondary market if you are so inclined to pick it up for your musical library.
I honestly don't remember now where I first heard that The Brave had a new album on the way, but I eventually found myself on their webpage and placed a pre-order for the CD. In retrospect I wish I had also picked this up on vinyl, but more on that later. Around July 2021 the album finally arrived in my mailbox...right in the middle of moving. The CD almost immediately was packed up with the rest of my music so it would be several weeks (months?) before I was able to finally drop this disc into player and give it a listen. Before I even had a chance to do that, I believe I heard the title track streaming on ChristianRock.net. I was immediately captured by the sound and sought out my disc. Ever since my first full listen I've had this album on repeat. When I'm not at home, I stream the album via YouTube in my car. Yes...I can't get enough!
Evie's Little Garden is the band's fourth album and their second independently released. I still haven't gotten the chance to check out their third album, Rise, but since I enjoyed their first two albums so much I figured pre-ordering this album was a safe bet. Boy, what an understand that was! Original guitarist, Stayce Roberts, now finds himself in the lead vocal role. In addition to providing the vocals, he wrote all the songs on the album. Let's just say Stayce is an incredibly talented musician...with everything he is able to do I'd compare him to Michael Sweet (Stryper) in terms of talent - guitar, vocals, song writing - what can't these guys do?!
Let's kick it off with the title track, Evie's Little Garden. If the album cover doesn't give it away, this song goes back to the garden where Eve was tempted by the serpent and as the chorus goes:
Somethings' goin' down in Evie's little garden
Somebody said they saw a snake
Hell's breaking loose down in Evie's little garden
And there's gonna be some Hell to pay
There ain't no garden anymore
There ain't no garden anymore
This is melodic rock at it's best! The vocal harmonies are awesome, especially during the chorus. The guitar hooks and riffs are filled with energy making this a fun song to sing along with. I can see why at the time of this post this song is trending so high on the ChristianRock.net playlists. As good as this song is however, we're just getting started!
Run To You is next up and is an excellent, CCM radio friendly (?) love song all about Christ's love for us and how we are called to share this love so that others eventually run to Him as well.
Elevate me is a reminder that we need God's love to elevate us from the world in which we live in. One line in particular that caught my attention:
Someone said that life is doing what you please
I don't want to catch anyone's disease
There's a higher call - listen to the sound
I need to feel alive before I'm in the ground
An early favorite of mine is the sixth song, Creep. The song opens up with some eerie sounding demons talking to one another before the music kicks in. This is probably the darkest song on the album, but a stark reminder of what waits for us if we don't accept God's love.
I look in your eyes - they dance while you sleep
A crime of neglect directly at me
Alone in your room this candle will show
My sinister eyes cast a familiar glow
You've fallen deeper and deeper but if you only knew...
That I creep into your room while you sleep
I write words on the wall to remind you
Of the life that you shared with me
All of the years are gone - where is the one I leaned on?
Just lie still...while I creep
Remember the time you reached out to me?
I thought you were mine for eternity
I witness the wings stretched over your bed
I'm suddenly cast to the fire instead
I'm falling deeper and deeper but if you only knew...
That I creep into your room while you sleep
I write words on the wall to remind you
Of the life that you shared with me
All of the years are gone - where is the one I leaned on?
Just lie still...while I creep
My life was a lie and you took it away
But now I will burn even more every day
All Fall Down has that classic Brave sound - big vocals on the chorus that make it so much fun to sing along with - a classic anthem sound if you will. Love: Automatic, the album's final song is another song that makes you want to crank up the volume and sing along with.
It's rare these days (at least for me) to find an album that I love from beginning to end. It always seems there are one or two songs that just don't do much for me and I'm looking for that skip button. I can honestly say that isn't the case here for me. True, there are some songs I prefer more than others, but every song on this album is great. I love the overall diversity. Just like Battle Cries was different from Trust as from Rise, Evie's Little Garden has an excellent mix of different styles. Run to You and Come to Me couldn't sound more different than Creep or If I Told You...and I love that! This just shows the creativity and talent in both the song writing and the musical abilities of the band. I really can't say enough about this album. For it to be an independently released album too is amazing as the artwork on the cover, insert and even the inlay and the disc itself is beautiful. The production values are fantastic as well. You can tell this project was a labor of love...I'm just sad that Stayce's brother, Randy, wasn't around to be apart of such a fantastic release. Seriously, if you're still reading this and you've liked what you've heard, I urge you to support these guys and head over to their website and pick up their album.
Rob Johnson: acoustic guitar, slide guitar, mandolin, lead/rhythm guitars
Steve Griffith: background vocals
The early to mid-90's produced several great Christian metal albums and though Bride had formed and released albums prior to their 1991 effort, this was the album that introduced me to the band. I believe I saw them in concert in the early 90's at AtlantaFest, but my memory can't exactly pinpoint the year as I attended the music festival for many consecutive years in my high school days.
A larger audience was exposed to Kinetic Faith and the album would sell fairly well, leading to a larger budget for their follow up album, Snakes in the Playground. Bride's first 3 albums were more in the heavy metal vein and with Kinetic Faith they would change their sound to match that of a more hard rock sound. I have some of Bride's earlier albums and while they are good, I love the overall sound of this album as well as the direction the band was going at time.
Dale Thompson, lead singer of Bride has a very unique voice and one of the best in the rock 'n roll business in my humble opinion. His sound is raw, bluesy and has a wide range. He's been associated with several side projects/bands over the years, playing different styles of rock and it always sounds so good. I won't try to compare him to anyone, you just have to listen to him yourself.
Musically this album is excellent and I would imagine would appeal to fans of Arrowsmith, Guns 'n Roses and the like. Dale's brother, Troy, lays down some great guitar work alongside guest musician Rob Johnson. Jerry McBroom's drums are hard and heavy and sound great.
The band tackles several social issues with this album, such as bigotry and racism in "Troubled Times". the foreword on the lyrics says: This song addresses our nation and how we pull together in times of crisis. As with the Iraq war, people who never pray feel the need to pray whenever trouble approaches. There is a sense of unity and brotherhood. However, in spite of the patriotism, there are still problems at home that need to address such as the starving and homeless. The song stars with the renowned words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "I have a dream." 31 years later and this song is sadly still relevant to the word in that which we all live in.
We don't need no burning crosses
Put out the fire of bigotry
We don't need to count our loses
When they bury you, they'll bury me
I have a dream that we can be united
It will only work when fears are subsided
By the sweat of my brow, I won't let it die
Freedom for our hears is my battle cry
(chorus)
We're living in troubled times
We're living in troubled times
How could we be so blind
We're living in troubled times
Poor man begging at the rich man's feet
He eats the crumbs off of the floor
We are starving for something to eat
We are whales upon thet shore
(chorus)
There was a time we tore our country down
For the same reasons we fight for now
And if pride comes before a fall
Why tell me why they tore down the wall
One of my favorite songs from this album and from their catalog as a whole is "Everybody Knows my Name". Dale sums up this song: This song tells a story of a man who was born into the world with nothing, but managed to become wealthy and popular through music. In the end, however, he realized that all he had in his life was worthless without God. You could easily replace music with just about anything else...a life without a personal relationship w/ Jesus is meaningless...no matter how much fame, wealthy or popularity one might have.
Everybody knows my name, everybody want the fame
Everybody wants to see, everybody wants a piece of me
Everybody wants the fun, everybody sees the gun
Everybody be so kind, still got my piece of mind
Everybody knows my name
Everybody can you feel my pain
I was born a poor boy, left home when I was four
Momma ever amed me so I never was for sure
I learned to read enough to know life was not so kind
All I own is my guitar as my piece of mind
I went out into the world to find my place in life
I'm learning more every day surviving really bites
They ask me for a line of coke, needles, knives and guns
I said to myself I've found home cause this place sounds like fun
(chorus)
Everybody knows my name, everybody play the game
Everybody wants the fame, everybody knows my name
I've seen holy rollers, midnight strollers, cops shake with fear
I've seen high heels clicking, red lipstick, blood, sweat and tears
I've red about a man who died on a cross for everybody's sins
If you want to make a change you've got to put your faith in Him
I've seen the limelight in New York City
I've seen the rainbow in Hollywood
Walked the streets of London, England
The streets of gold look so good
(chorus)
I voted for their politicians
I've seen all the dirty religions
I wore their three piece suits
But I did not wear their army boots
I didn't fire the guns of war
Never knew what they were fighting for
Everybody wants the fame
Everybody knows my name
Another stand out track on the album is "Hired Gun". Dale describes the song in the liner notes: This song is about an assassin who paints a picture with a realistic theme. The assassin always poses the question to his victims -- "Hope you and Jesus have it all worked out." This is the same question that God will ask you when you stand before Him to give an account of your life. Romans 14:11-12 states: It is written: "As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God." So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
They pay me lots of money for what I do
I'm a dance, midnight romancer under the moon
I'm on the clock, I like to rock, I don't work the streets
You'll be amazed, your eyes a glazed
When I do my high wire feats
Exterminator, rawhide gangster, I can equal the odds
I pay for your sins with my boyish grin, I create the facade
Steady hand, I'm a gentleman, I've got deadly aim
Womanizer, lone survivor, I like to play the game
(chorus)
Hope you and Jesus have it all worked out
I'm a hired gun
There is no heaven here on earth, love must rule us all
Black days are coming, every prideful man will fall
Have no fear or shed a tear, but there will come a day
When I'm looked in the eye, asked to die, I'll hear someone say
(chorus)
Kinetic Faith is a really good album and still sounds great 30 years after it was released. It would be the first on many consecutive albums that I listened to repeatedly through out my high school years. The original Pure Metal release isn't too hard to find today on the secondary market due to it selling fairly well, however Girder Music is about to release a re-mastered version of the album (as well as their follow up, Snakes in the Playground on both CD and vinyl. I've purchased a few of Girder's remastered albums for other bands such as Angelica, Shout and Love War and they are top notch releases. If you like what you have heard and missed out on this album 31 years ago, here's your chance to grab it for just $15 bucks. Oh, did I mention the album also comes with a limited trading card too?
I discovered the band Brother Cane thanks in part to one of Doug Van Pelt's awesome "What So & So Sez" interviews in Heaven's Metal magazine. I was a sophmore in high school when this album was released and was very much into the Christian music scene, attending Atlanta Fest yearly. However I was always a little curious about mainstream music, especially when I would hear Christian bands being compared to other mainstream bands. However I wanted to be careful at what I exposed my ears to (for my own reasons) so I didn't venture out very from the world of CCM that often. Perhaps this is what made these band interviews so intriguing and entertaining for me.
Doug Van Pelt interviewed the lead singer of the band, Damon Johnson for the article. Sadly I don't have the magazine anymore and I cant find a copy of the interview online, but I specifically remember Doug and Damon making some sort of connection. When I saw that Damon was a follower of Christ it got me more interested in his band. Doug liked what he heard so I figured I give it a try myself. After finding the CD at my local Camelot Music and I was hooked.
Got No Shame opens with some awesome harmonica and cowbell - southern rock at it's finest. Remember, at this time in my life I hadn't listened to anything like this. I wasn't a fan of classic rock like I am today so this was a fresh sound and change of pace for me. All through out high school this disc stayed in my CD wallet. There was a time I could sing along with every song. Not so much today as it's been awhile since I've given this one a spin.
It's hard to decipher the meaning of song lyrics and I don't really want to put words in the band's mouth, however there were a few songs that seemed to strike a chord with me. The Road was and still is one of my favorite songs. It's not quite a ballad, but its a song all about searching...and Lord knows as a 16 year old listening to this album I did my fair share of that.
There really isn't a bad song on this album. The musicianship and song writing is fantastic. The album has also aged very well and still stands up 25+ years later. I would go on to purchase subsequent albums by Brother Cane, but their first effort is by far my favorite of theirs.
