Reviewed by Paul S Ganney

OK I'm biased. I love this sort of music. As soon as the drums and guitar kicked in on "Paper Tiger" I was hooked. Reminding me of Helloween circa "Keeper Of The Seven Keys" (their best era) with odd nods towards Axxis, Judas Priest, Metallica and Within Temptation what was there not to like? It's no wonder that this album from the hardrockers from Georgia entered the Billboard hard rock chart at 19. It is brilliantly written, played, recorded and produced. The drums and bass drive at a fast pace, the guitars riff like there's no tomorrow and the solos are a mix between "I can play faster than you" and melodic. The vocals soar above it all (sung, not grunted) and the harmonies are the icing on the cake, with some brilliant singalong choruses (eg, "A Call To Arms" and the anthemic "Easter"). The key changes lift each song (rather than sounding like they've run out of ideas as I've heard other bands do). The lyrics are God-centred and minister to the hurting (eg, "Grace has a way of building hope out of despair" from "Around The World"). The album certainly lifted me and I'll be checking out their back catalogue.

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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