Reviewed by Philip Price

Are you old enough to remember Boston or Foreigner? If so, then this re-release of two albums on one CD, by the seminal ‘80s Christian metal band Shout, may be just what you’ve been waiting for. The albums contained on this CD are 1988’s ‘It Won’t Be Long’ and 1989’s ‘In Your Face’. Fronted by veteran Christian rocker Ken Tamplin, Shout play competent hard-edged AOR in a way that CCM Magazine described in March 1989 as “fast, loud, fast and loud, loud and fast, and ever louder and faster…” This isn’t just thrash music, though, there are songs with strong lyrical content that encourage us to get ever deeper into our relationship with the Father. There are some stand-out tracks, such as “Shout”, “Showdown”, “Without You”, and “Getting Ready”. Some of the songs sound a little dated, whilst others don’t seem to go anywhere. However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth listening to. If you like Petra, David & The Giants and the like, then you will love this. Good lyrics, good music, good value! Buy it.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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