The debut from 20/20 Blind on Intersound Records is a solid release. The Houston-based five-member band has been together for three and a half years-enough time for them to find their sound and polish it somewhat.
That sound is pretty diverse. The album kicks off with "Wash," a strong rocker that showcases vocal harmonies reminiscent of King's X. Then comes "Soul Song," another rocker, before the album slides into "Love Keeps Reaching," a power ballad that does a good job of displaying another side of the band.
Then comes "I Am Blind," one of my favorite cuts. The song displays vocalist Wallace Chase's abilities well. "Do I" deals with sexual temptation, and is one of the more musically creative pieces.
The second half is just as strong, with the standouts being "Never Far," "Show Each Other Love," and "Another Love." "Never Far" and "Another Love" are both up-tempo acoustic tunes that have strong harmonies. "Show Each Other Love" is all-out rock, that shows these guys can bang with the best of them.
Besides King's X, I also heard strains of Extreme and Van Halen. Lyrically, the band addresses several topics, but a recurring theme is the emptiness that everyone feels sometimes, and they point to God as the answer. 20/20 Blind should appeal to fans of White Heart, Guardian and other hard-rock groups. The musicianship of Shon Alkire (bass), Doug Middleton (guitar), Chris Laurents (drums), and Michael McNeely (guitar) is strong, and provides a good backdrop for Chase's atmospheric vocals.
Other coverage for this album
Syndicate Aug 1994Reviewed by Arsenio Orteza20/20 Blind hail from Houston, Texas, just like King's X and Galactic Cowboys, both of whom get thanked in Never Far's liner notes. What do they get thanked for? The notes don't say, but probably for giving 20/ 20 Blind the idea for "I Am Blind," which has King's X stamped all over it. According to that logic, though, the band should've also thanked Michael Sweet for inspiring (in his mellower…Heaven's Metal #48Reviewed by Doug Van PeltIt's been interesting to watch 20/20 Blind evolve in the last two years I've known about 'em. This debut album, Never Far, which has taken about six months to complete, has an interesting appeal that doesn't take immediate hold on the first listen. After that first listen, I didn't want to give this album the time of day. This changes, though, once I dug in and listened. The band is obviously…Similar sounding releases
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