Reviewed by Richard Tulloch

The earliest tracks on this collection are from 1986, so you could be forgiven for thinking that its title is a contradiction in terms. Indeed, since these 'early years' comprise just three albums, from just four years, you could well wonder just what the point of its release is at all. The point of White Heart during this time was clear. Following the lead of pioneering bands like Petra and Rez, it became their mission to commandeer AORmetal for God. As The Early years' shows though, their self-consciousness often led to a forced approach, as if such music was what they felt they needed to produce, more than what they were actually best at. "Read The Book", for example, sounds embarrassingly like an elderly relative trying to use trendy language for the benefit of your school friends. The less 'glammish' inclusions, like "Fly Eagle Fly", are more convincing and give a glimpse of their true potential. Such glimpses though are not enough to justify this pointless compilation.