| 1. Nail It To The Wall |
| 2. One Small Voice |
| 3. It's Forever |
| 4. Walk Away |
| 5. Fight For My Life |
| 6. Reason |
| 7. Johnny's Running |
| 8. Nightwinds |
| 9. For Getting Over Us |
| 10. Winding Road |
| 11. Flowerlove |
Editorial Reviews
Japanese pressing adds the bonus track Flowerlove'. Avalon. 2005.
Equilibrium,Sin,Avalon,Heavy Metal,Rock
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Spirit
Eluveitie Manufacturer: Fear Dark ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000EZ52RC |
Product Description
01. Spirit 02. Uis Elveti 03. Your Gaulish War 04. ...Of Fire, Wind & Wisdom 05. Aidû 06. The Song Of Life 07. Tegernakô 08. Siraxta 09. The Dance Of Victory 10. The Endless Knot 11. AnDro Total Running Time: 50.50Customer Reviews:
Quite a different sound.......2007-07-07
Just the imagination and originality of it is phenonmenal. Not only that, there has to be a lot of talent required, considering that the artists need to be skilled not only with the folk instruments, but also with the modern ones as well.
Finally.........2006-11-21
Resurrecting the sounds of rituals and celebration.......2006-08-06
With enough instruments to make the Chieftains envy, this album is the standard for originality. The instruments are well balanced, the guitars don't claim any superiority but leave enough room for your ears to capture the sounds of flutes, pipes, horn, whistles, fiddles, mandola, hurdygurdy, gaita, and accordian.
Six of the eleven songs are sung in english.
The list is as follows:
-Spirit
-Uis Elveti (This track was on Ven)
-Your Gaulish War
-Of Fire, Wind, and Wisdom
-Aidu
-The Song of Life
-Tegernako
-Siraxta
-The Dance of Victory
-The Endless Knot
-An Dro (instrumental)
This is the second album from Eluveitie, the first was Ven.
I personally like the album Ven over Spirit but I know most would disagree with me. I know all who have heard Eluveitie would agree with me that you should buy these albums while you can.
Mindblowing pagan metal..........2006-06-22
I love Chrigels voice! His clean vocals and his screams are both awesome...
You've got to hear this band playing live! It's a party every time I see them...
This is one great band and this is definately one of the best releases I know of...
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Unveiled (+2)
Whitecross ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000BSJ0MA |
Product Description
Having ruled the Christian pop and metal charts in the early 90's, by 1994 Whitecross fans had no idea what to expect since this would be the first album without legendary axeman, Rex Carroll. Thus, the 1994 release "unveiled" the new Whitecross line up and how they would sound together. The result was a collective sigh of relief when fans were greeted with a gritty melodic hard rock/metal album to be proud of. "Unveiled" will still appeal to fans of Extreme, Bride, Guardian, Tesla, and Stryper. But just to make this release even better, Retroactive Records has added the never-before-released '86 Whitecross two song demo that got the band signed to Pure Metal Records. So now you can hear the demo versions of "Lookin' For A Reason" and "He Is the Rock." The demo shows that Rex Carroll's guitar playing was pure brilliance from day one!Customer Reviews:
Whitecross With A Different Sound, But, The Same Outcome... Great!.......2006-04-17
I like every song, from start to finish. It's tough for me to pick my favorite. Some of the songs have a Robert Plant (Led Zepplin) singing style, in which, I think, that Scott Wenzel does a fantastic job of not sounding like a copy, but instead shows that he's flexible with his own style. While you will not hear the guitar riffs, that the previous CDs have given us, the guitar is very good, by Barry Graul. Drums are solid with Mike Feighan, again, at the helm. Tracy Ferrie is the newer comer at bass.
From the first track, 'If You Believe, till the last,'No Other Love'(A remake of Rick Cua's song), the song's are top-notch.
From the lightest song,'Angel's Disguise'(A ballad with solid acoustic guitar), to the hardest rocker,'Come Unto The Light'(A hard hitting rocker/I believe this song got a Dove Award), the song's are top-notch.
I think, this CD is their 2nd best, behind only their 'In The Kingdom' CD.
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Molesting Hip Hop
Majik Most Manufacturer: Domination Recordings ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000A5FA7I Release Date: 2005-07-01 |
Tracks:
- Majik's Theme 2005
- Skinny Girls (Eat Some Food)
- Just A Feelin' feat. Celph Titled
- Deranged Barber
- Stuck Up (Stick 'Em Remix) feat. Celph Titled & Eternia
- Chicks Don't Mind feat. louis logic
- Chum the Skrilla Guerilla (Skit)
- Baldwin Brothers feat. Celph Titled
- Nasty Toes
- Florida Celebrities feat. Jade Foxx
- Welcome to Hell (Skit)
- Real Villains feat. Celph Titled, Guttamouf & Lord Digga
- The Show With No Name Promo
- Extra Thug Sauce (J-Zone Remix) feat. Guttamouf & Celph Titled
- Ap's Intermission
- All That
- Who What When Where feat. Celph Titled
- Stick 'Em (Onyx Mix)
- Shit is Real (Skit)
- Pause Tape Champion Outro
- Majik's Theme
- Forget You
- Mother Molesters feat. Apathy, louis logic & Celph Titled
Product Description
Creative powerhouse, long time Demigodz affiliate, and Equilibrium group member, Majik Most slams back hard on the scene with his incredible first full length CD + DVD "Molesting Hip Hop". The CD features beats and rhymes from Celph Titled, Apathy, J-Zone, Louis Logic, Lord Digga, JJ Brown, Eternia, Jade Foxx, Get Large and many more. Jam packed with certified bangers, hilarious concepts, and insane skits, this instant classic is no doubt one of the most solid underground releases to hit the scene in years. The DVD features over 2 hours of non stop entertainment - Including Music videos, behind the scenes/show footage, Video freestyles, skits and hilarious outtakes. Appearances from J-Zone, Vinny Paz, Celph Titled, Apathy, Louis Logic, Gutta Mouf, JJ Brown, Rise, Big Scoob, Dutch Massive and many more. Solid independent hip hop!Customer Reviews:
ha ha ha.......2006-04-05
And I got my own theme song..........2005-12-20
While it almost sounds ridiculous to describe Majik Most to anyone who's never heard of him, he's one of the more entertaining rappers around connected to some extra talented friends, such as the always amazing Louis Logic, battle vet Apathy or the incredibly underrated Celph Titled whom all make guest appearances.
As the album title implies, the entire album is done tongue and cheek, and probably at that, tongue and cheek as in tongue and that other cheek. Its completely offensive and completely entertaining. As if that wasn't enough, there's a DVD complete with Majik Most and Dutchmassive talking crap to tourists and Majik kicking a free style while a girl strips naked in the background. One has to wonder what this cat would do if he had production money. Molesting Hip Hop is a Mixtape... so its not meant to be taken as an official album, which generally puts an album to second rate standards (a trend that is starting to wear hip hop heads out listening to C material or horrid remixes). While there's a little beat jacking and short songs lasting a verse or two, it feels more like an album except with an over abundance of skits. If I were to hold this to mixtapes standards, this quite possibly is the greatest mixtape ever created hands down. If it were a stand alone album I'd be a little more critical and probably give it a four star rating. Its a toss up but given the fact I keep coming back to this album and re-listening as it keeps growing on me even that's arguable.
There's also a strange air of intelligence as Majik Most parodies a bit of the all already ridiculous rap life, that's been ripe for a lot of bland stand up bits and bad skits. Instead of succumbing to the usual tired jokes, Majik Most fully embraces rap/hip hop (as he's obviously a fan) and uses humor to subtly criticize some negatives by just pushing the envelope too far. Other clever moments include the should-be-famous JJ Brown's sampling of the Austin Power's soundtrack (without being obvious) on the album's most listenable joint, Chicks Don't Mind, with an attitude much in line of Mr Powers himself (read again, no direct references to Austin Powers) and skits that are self parody of his own skits, that often include bloopers of those who are supposed to be making the skits. It becomes a strange juxtaposition of then-and-now when comical rap skits that used to make fun of rap skits have become so cliched that it takes a voice actor scratching her head "What am I supposed to say?" when trying to perform parody of a comical rap skit making fun of a comical skit. Its convoluted, genius and funny. Just buy the damn album already.
Hands down one of the best releases of 2005!.......2005-11-02
If you're a fan of hip hop from the likes of the Beatnuts, Alkaholiks, J-Zone, Demigodz, etc. Then it's guaranteed you will enjoy this release. I can't say anything more other than to make sure you pick this CD up... it's a must have.
Yo, yeeeaaa it ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-majik most!.......2005-10-08
And as for me, well I love Majik. He goes to HCC with my boy Good Feezie and the man is a lyrical genius. Glad to see some support from across the whole US..
And yea, I posted up the customer graphic.. (On mama's account though)
Top 10 album for 2005 in all music.......2005-10-01
If is not a pure classic it is very close to it.
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Forest of Equilibrium
Cathedral Manufacturer: Earache Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000005831 Release Date: 1995-06-13 |
Tracks:
- PICTURE OF BEAUTY & INNOCENCE (INTRO) COMISERATING THE CELEBRATION
- EBONY TEARS
- SERPENT EVE
- SOUL SACRIFICE
- A FUNERAL REQUEST
- EQUILIBRIUM
- REACHING HAPPINESS, TOUCHING PAIN
Customer Reviews:
666 BILLION ''STAR's'' is not enough for this!!.......2005-10-08
1991!!!!!!!!!BUT NO TIME..It's TIMELESS!!
EARACHE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Some of the most BEAUTIFUL artwork ever is on this album! AN ALBUM COVER THAT MATCHE's it's MUSIC..100%%%!!
If you played a MILLION copies of this all at once..THE EARTH WOULD EXPLODE!!!!! IT's LIKE TEN MILLION BOULDER'S..ALL FALLING ON YOUR HEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HEAVEEEEEEYYYYYY..CANT EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE THIS HELL!!!!!
This is one of the best DOOM album's..it's also near DOOM DEATH..it's just not as DEATH like as WINTER and disEMBOWELMENT!!!! CATHEDRAL's first EP..was more DOOM DEATH..but this is close!!
This is just one of the ALBUM's that I will always BLAST!!! A TOTAL MASTERPEICE..and also one of the very few album's that SCARE's me!!! the feeling on this is so ERIE that you get shiver's when this hit's the CREEPEY part's..the ENDING of this album come's to mind!!!!!
EVERY FUKKING SONG..IS A MASTERPEICE!!!!!! I BLEED FOR THIS ALBUM!!!! THIS OF COURSE INFLUENCED TON's just like CANDLEMASS,SABBATH,KING CRIMSON and WITCHFINDER GENERAL before them!!
I HAVE NO MORE WORD's..MAYBE THE BEST ALBUM EVER MADE..IN ANY FORM OF MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DOOM PERFECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
''ALL LOVE IS BROKEN SOMBRE IN DEVOTION, THE HEARSE OF SELFISHNESS HAS DROVE IT ALL AWAY''-REACHING HAPINESS, TOUCHING PAIN lyrcis by DORIAN!
Soul Sacrifice.......2005-08-07
The first few notes of "Comiserating The Celebration" showed what was in store. Cathedral was slow, heavy and well, doom-laden. The rhythm guitar came straight from the Tony Iommi school of riffs. Discordant guitar lines played counter to the rhythm, seemingly out of tune, but fitting perfectly. Dorian's psychotic screech was gone, replaced by a deep, soulful moan. Like a mammoth struggling for it's life in a prehistoric tar pit, the whole effect is one of sinking, a hopeless inescapable fate.
And basically, that was the tone for the entire album. The band explores the plummeting depths of despair repeatedly. There is not an element of cheer anywhere on the album. "Soul Sacrifice" picks up the pace a little, and apart from a final flourish, hardly raises the tempo beyond a slow march. "Equilibrium" also rumbles like a rolling shockwave of an earthquake across a continent.
Lee Dorian's vocals were something of a revelation. Until the release of this album, Doom vocalists basically emulated Ozzy Osbourne's high-pitched tenor. Some like Trouble's Eric Wagner favoured the tripped out, stoned Ozzy, while others like Candlemass' Messiah Marcolin went with full operatic pomposity. Paradise Lost predates `Forest Of Equilibrium', with Nich Holmes employing a similar vocal technique, but there was a large Death Metal component to Paradise Lost's sound. Cathedral was pure Doom. Dorian sounds like he's on the ultimate downer trip, all life and energy sapped from his body, his voice the croak of a man who has seen his own demise and has accepted it resignedly. The lyrics are tales of mysticism and natural majick, but Dorian would inspire dread no matter what the subject matter.
Guitarist Adam Lehan was also treading new ground. He'd formerly been a member of UK Apple Core nutters Acid Reign. It might have been tempting to play old Acid Reign riffs at half pace, but there is nothing here which even hints at Thrash. The odd ropey riff is excusable in Thrash, because playing at high speed mean it's gone again fairly quickly. However, playing at the leaden pace of Cathedral Lehan and fellow guitarist Gary Jennings had to deliberately place every note, or it would hang there rotting like a corpse in a gibbet.
`Forest Of Equilibrium' helped relaunch Doom Metal into the general Metal conscious. It attracted notice because of the band members' previous gigs, but kept the interest because of it's own musical merit. It was also Cathedral's only pure Doom release. From `The Ethereal Mirror' and beyond, a large Stoner Rock component was added to the sound. `Forest Of Equilibrium' stands alone as a dread monolith in Cathedral's career.
Their absolute best.......2005-03-12
The only other Cathedral album that I've really liked since this one is ENDTYME. ETHEREAL MIRROR had its' moments, most of their other stuff was pretty mediocre, although I confess to not hearing anything after ENDTYME. I think one of the things I really like about this one is Lee Dorian's vocal style, which was doubled to great effect. Some of the most eerie, depressing and drunken doom vocals I've ever heard. Sadly, that eerieness was never captured quite as well on subsequent releases. Lee tried to sing after that, and well, he can't. Some of Lee's vocals on later Cathedral stuff is actually pretty embarrassing at times, sounds like he's trying too hard.
I would rate this one of my top ten Doom releases of all time. Too bad they never reached this high again. Go and grab a copy.
Slow and Heavy.......2005-01-29
The songs are long. They are played very slow. And they are mighty heavy. There is enough distortion on this album to destroy most small amplifiers. That said, I like it. I like it alot. The album starts on a good note with an ambient melody, then segues into ultra-heavy, honest to Satan, sludge metal. The vocals are few and far between, but I doubt that you will notice as you will be nodding along with the distorted yet strangely melodic guitar. Then, they start sloing. Cathedral seems to be able to take it up a notch and unleash perfectly acceptable metal solos right out of the slow moving riff. Each song, lasts for about ten minutes, giving you plenty of time to get into it.
If slow heavy music is your thing, then you really can't go wrong with Cathedral. If it is not your thing, well, then grab a joint, you it will be.
Unknown to many, absloutely phenomenal album!.......2004-01-26
Lee Dorrian, an ex-singer for grind-core legends Napalm Death, has made a U-turn and delved into the opposite end of musical extremes. To say that this album is slow won't tell you just how painfully sluggish and crushingly heavy these riffs are. Of 58 minutes, perhaps only in 2 or 3 minute-time the tempo rises above 80 bpm. The ending part of "Ethereal Architect", while pretty mid-tempo will seem to you like a Slayer-esque break in.
The music is based on Black Sabbath inspired down-tuned dual guitar work. Solos are sparse and chaotic. Lee Dorrian shines throughout the album. His singing is mixed of 2 tracks, 1 is a tortured, low, moaning growl, and the second is painful moaning tone. These over-dubbed vocals work extremely well to create an atmosphere of cold inevitable depression. It seems that Lee's voice is coming from a grave, breaking it's way through shovel-loads of earth that are being thrown from above. The other highlight of this record is the drummer's work. It takes much of skill to be a doom-metal drummer, because you need to be inventive to fill in the gaps between the sparse rhythm beats. Mike Smail's performance is exemplary in this department. Too bad he is buried somewhat deep in the mix, and the cymbals are barely audible. And there's more to this album - the flute! It only appears in 2 tracks, but it plays in such a haunting screaming manner that it gives you chills.
This is an excellent album, that firmly steps on an unknown before ground, and stays there alone. Unless you are naturally depressed, buy this album. (If you are, then stay away from it, you might not survive, and I'm not joking).
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The Song of Luke: An Oratorio by Cyprian Consiglio
Manufacturer: Equilibrium Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B00081U74K Release Date: 2005-04-26 |
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Sounds, Shapes, and Symbols
Manufacturer: Equilibrium Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B0000AUHSG Release Date: 2003-08-26 |
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In Memoriam: William Albright
Albright , Reed , and Udow Manufacturer: Equilibrium Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000066F6V Release Date: 2002-05-28 |
Customer Reviews:
William Albright - brilliant and worthy of our attention.......2004-12-07
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Historic Works for Percussion Ensemble
Manufacturer: Equilibrium Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B00018D2WE Release Date: 2004-01-27 |
Customer Reviews:
A good survey of percussion music in the wake of Varèse's seminal "Ionisation" - but timing too short and opportunity misssed.......2007-06-13
I bought the disc to get an opportunity to hear more music from Johanna Beyer, the most obscure and demure member of a group, adept at "dissonant counterpoint" and gathered around Cowell, Charles Seeger, Ruth Crawford, Carl Ruggles and Dane Rudhyard. Born in 1888 and an immigrant from Leipzig, Germany, she established in New York in 1923 and died in 1944 of a neuro-degenerative disease. I discovered her music with the fine, stern and vehement Suite for Violin and Piano from 1937 (Works for Violin by George Antheil; Johanna Beyer; Henry Cowell; Ruth P. Crawford; Charles Dodge; David Mahler, Larry Polansky, Stefan Wolpe) and went on with her serious and unseductive "Dissonant Counterpoint" and "Gebrauchsmusik" for piano (Ruth Crawford: 9 Preludes, Johanna Beyer: Dissonant Counterpoint, Gebrauchs-Musik). "IV", composed in 1935, turns out to be a fine, post-Varèse piece, composed of nine rhythmic lines with no instrumentation indicated (the intepreters and not the composer are meant to chose the actual instruments) but a frustratingly short one too, less than two minutes long.
From what I can assess, the interpretations the University of Michigan Percussion Ensemble under Thomas Siwe seem perfectly apt, but in Hovhaness' October Mountain and Chavez' Toccata the sound has spots of saturation whenever bass drum and/or timpani come in. Still this is an enjoyable disc, but at 52 minutes the survey is not excessively lengthy. It is really too bad that the opportunity was missed to include some "historical" Cage (who really belonged there) and perhaps also John J. Becker's 1933 "The Abongo" (featured on Cowell: Quartet Romantic, a New World Records CD).
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Bassett: Concerto for Alto Saxophone; Bolcom: Lyric Concerto; Daugherty: Spaghetti Western
Manufacturer: Equilibrium Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B0001DMUV8 Release Date: 2004-02-24 |
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Nineteen Eighty Seven (2005 Re-Recording!!!)
Whitecross ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000BSHCD4 |
Product Description
In 1987 Whitecross took the Christian Metal Scene by storm, delivering what would soon become one of the most talked about and highly collectible recordings in the Christian metal market. Scott Wenzel and Rex Carroll created a duo like few before them, breaking ground in the Christian metal scene that opened up the door for a flurry of bands. Often compared to the secular mainstream band RATT, Scotts vocals were new and fresh in Christian music, and Rexs blazing guitar work put Whitecross on the map for good. Whitecross continued through out the 80s and 90s making music and releasing some 12 recordings with drummer Mike Feighan, as well as many other musicians. Now Rex, Scott and Mike would like to take you back to a time when Metal still reigned. Whitecross Nineteen Eighty Seven is a completely new recording of the original Self-Titled Whitecross, but bigger, louder and better than ever. 1. Who Will You Follow 2. Enough Is Enough 3. He Is The Rock 4. Lookin' For A Reason 5. No Way I'm Goin' Down 6. Seein' Is Believin' 7. All I Need 8. Nagasake 9. Signs Of The End 10. Love on the Line (Previously Unreleased on CD) 11. Reanimate (New Rex Carroll Guitar Solo/Song)Customer Reviews:
A Great Classic made even better.......2007-01-12
4 STARS FOR THE RECORDING, 6 FOR JUST THINKING OF IT (hopefully an honest review from a huge fan...).......2006-03-15
First off, let me say that somehow, Rex's guitar sound on this new cd is almost exactly the same as the original cd. I'm not sure if it's that the riffs are that distinctive or Rex remembering his settings (maybe some combination of the two). Allowing for a possibly bigger budget and better recording gear, the guitar is louder and meatier but over all it's amazingly similar. A big thank you to Rex for "keeping it real". Thanks to Mike Feighan, something that HAS changed is the quality of the drumming. It's much better than on the original recording. A direct comparison between the 2 disks will allow you to hear that the drumming is smoother, more dynamic and has more imaginative fills on the newer cd. Another change is Scott's vocals. For about the last 10 years, Scott has been singing in a lower register. Compare his vocals on "Signs Of The End" on both disks and you'll hear just how hard it is for him to sing in the higher octaves. However, he's pretty much hitting the notes the same as he did on the original recording, the trademark raspiness is still present and his vocals have a bit more grit. A huge thanks to Scott for even trying to get back up in that vocal stratosphere.
A high percentage of the songs are played practically note for note so if you're familiar with the original recordings, there's no need for a complete song by song review. In spite of this not really being a "band" recording (Rex plays bass on many of the songs), the energy hasn't been lost and that serves this project well. Rex occasionally plays notes in place of a dive-bomb that was on the original disk but my goodness, even for a master guitar player like Rex, it's darn near impossible to play every song exactly as it was originally recorded. The vocals are slightly different in areas such harmonies and the occasional vocal doubling on the original recordings aren't duplicated on the newer cd but it's readily apparent that Scott's intent was to sing them the way they were meant to be sang. So literally, what you're getting is a re-imaging of the original cd minus the ballad "You're Mine", the welcome addition of "Love On The Line", the instrumental "Reanimate" (excellent!) and a few outtakes. The only song that doesn't quite hold up to the original is "Nagasake". The backwards vocals (which actually said "trust in the Lord") at the beginning of the original are missing which is no big deal. The first 2/3 of the solo is great but Rex's guitar playing is uncharacteristically stiff during the classical descending runs (reminiscent of the licks Steve Vai played in the movie Crossroads during the guitar duel). To my ears, the original sounded sort of like Rex just played this incredible classical oriented guitar solo "off the cuff". There's seemingly conflicting emotions of the wide eyed joy exuded by a young boy picking up the guitar for the first time and thinking "wow, I can actually play this stuff?" while simultaneously oozing with the confidence only an artist with years of wood shedding and being other worldly talented can exhibit. That sense of discovery seems to be missing from the newer version. Also, I love "You're Mine". I would have loved for them to have included an updated version of that song as well. But all in all, this new cd is very much appreciated. While the music style may or may not be outdated (I love what they do so much it's hard for me to tell), I get the feeling these guys could be at the forefront of a 1980's metal revival. It doesn't say what year this occurred but in the liner notes, Rex mentioned that he used the song "Reanimate" to enter a Rock contest in New York AND LOST!!!! To who? Eddie Van Halen? Jimi Hendrix? Besides those two, what more could you possibly want in a "rock" guitarist? Being heavier than anything in their catalog, "Reanimate" could be sign that Whitecross is moving into a new heavier direction which certainly would save Scott's voice.
While it's unusual, I don't find to be a huge surprise that they decided to rerecord the entire self titled debut cd because this is something at which they have a bit of a history. In 1988, Whitecross contributed a song on a various artist compilations called "The Axemen". That song was called "Shakedown" which was rerecorded and appears on the "Triumphant Return" cd (their best in my opinion). "No Second Chances" which appears on the cd "In The Kingdom" was rerecorded and included on the Whitecross compilation cd "One More Encore". This is a group that knows they have treasures lying in their catalog.
As a side note, the title track of the 4 song e.p. "Love On The Line" actually did appear on cd however it wasn't a Whitecross cd. They contributed the song to another various artist compilation called "Testify" (send me an email at hdetter at gmail.com and I'll burn a copy for you). Two of the remaining three songs "No Way I'm Going Down" and "Enough Is Enough" appear on the self titled debut however "I Believe" can't be found on cd anywhere. This song was a departure from the trademark Whitecross sound in that it's blues-rock oriented and Rex handled the lead vocal chores (Scott's unmistakable background harmonies are excellent).
Anyway, "enough is enough" on the Whitecross history. Here's hoping that this leads to a cd with new music.
Simply amazing!.......2006-02-16
VERY true to the originals, no updated sound here. Rex's guitars shred almost nore-for note to the originals. Scott's vocals are a bit deeper now. The drums and bass sound much better with today's production technology.
Kicks off with "Who Will You Follow", contains "Eough Is ENough", "No Way I'm Going Down" and more. Only the ballad was left off, which slips my mind at the moment. Contains 2 "new" tracks. "Love On The Line" was never released on CD. "Re:Animate" is a new instrumental/solo from Rex. It is the only thing that sounds remotely "modern" but it still shreds.
You can hear good MP3 samples at the Whitecross website (google it).
Also, lots of cool pics from the 80's and new liner notes from Rex.
If you are a fan of Christian Metal, give this one a try. Old School at its best! also, Saint is still out there too!!
The 80's classic redone.......2006-02-13
Folks immediately took notice because of their unique sound. Scott Wenzel's vocals brought comparisons to bands like Ratt and AC/DC. Rex Carroll launched into it with scorching guitar riffs and fearless solos. The band went on to win a Dove Award and release 12 recordings in some incarnation or another before disbanding completely.
Now, nineteen years later, the band has reformed. Rather than release a CD of new music, they took the unorthodox route of completely rerecording their debut CD. Bringing back Mike Feighan (easily their strongest drummer and the one who played on more releases than any other in their revolving door backing band), they hit it with a more aggressive sound than before. So how does it hold up?
To me, the strongest Whitecross recordings were their later ones after Rex left and other guitarists came in to give Whitecross the gut-level rock sound it deserved. Scott took things in a new direction and really made the band something to notice even as it was on its way out. If they were going to remake a CD, it kind of seems more natural to choose perhaps some greatest hits and go from there. Still, the wealth of material on the debut album gives them a lot to work with.
One thing to say about Rex Carroll, he's consistent. He sounds exactly the same as he did 20 years ago. As a matter of fact, he sounds the same on every single record he plays on. Rather than try anything too daring, he stays with the same signature sound and solos he's always played. This time though, the rhythm guitar parts that are the backbone of the songs have some crunch to them. He plays riffs in every song like it's the last time he'll ever get to play (unfortunately sometimes cluttering the song with too much noise-especially when Scott's singing). It's probably impossible to see his fingers move in some parts. "Nagasake" is as strong now as it was then.
Scott's vocals are a little more subdued now, but I think that's to be expected. Nobody can keep singing in the stratosphere forever! What he loses in range he makes up for in passion. This is more of the vocal style he used in the later Whitecross recordings like Unveiled and Equilibrium.
The strongest songs on the CD are "Who Will You Follow", "Enough is Enough", and "All I Need". In addition to the songs from the original recording, they include "Love on the Line", which was never released on CD before. This fist-pumping version rocks (think an angry Led Zepplin) and actually sounds better than the original. There's also a new guitar instrumental by Rex called "Reanimate". If you like his instrumentals from other releases, you'll probably like this one. Some catchy hooks, but mostly just the same stuff as always from Rex. It kind of gets repetitive after a while.
All in all, this is a good release and it's nice to see the band get to revisit their debut and clean it up a little. Fans of the hair band years will love this nostalgia trip. It's definitely worth picking up just to hear an updated sound from the band. Hopefully next time they'll choose to take songs from other releases and do this again instead of working their way back through their discography. Or better yet, give us all new material!
Stryper returned last year with a new CD. Whitecross brings us this new release. Holy Soldier's even working on a new set. Just goes to show: hair bands can still rock.
Improving a classic!!!.......2005-12-13
Rock Music:
- Escaping from the Hands of God [Import]
- Grabass Charlestons/ Billy Reese Peters Split
- Great [Box set] [Original recording remastered] [Import]
- Heathen [Import]
- Here Comes That Feeling Again. [Import]
- Homebelly Groove...Live [Live]
- I Ain't Drunk
- I Am A Diver
- I Blame Dido Ep [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]
- I Don't Need You [CD-single] [Import]
