This full-length album is a welcomed friend after having my appetite wet by their EP earlier this year and (especially) seeing their energy live. 3rd Root has a unique sound, mixing soulful, laid-back and Jamaican-influenced vocals with some very tribal and prominent drumming. This is just the in-between melodic parts, though. What sets this band apart is the furious tightness and power they display when they ram down on a riff. This is where they deliver their knockout punch. This is where they hold their own against anybody. Their distinctive characteristics will give them the distance they can put between themselves and their closest counterparts. Sometimes you'll hear Chili laugh, like the end of "Prophet's Eye," where he'll add to the manic chorus of "War is on the rise" with a question, "But who's on the front line?" This is just one example that shows the band's confidence in what they're doing. Comparisons to P.O.D. will arise, which compliments 3rd Root's creativity, but these guys camp so soundly around the hardcore spectrum of rapcore that simple labels won't fit. Fans of P.O.D. and Scaterd Few should relish in these sounds, though.
Lyrically, 3rd Root comes off as vigilant and hungry for God's Word. "Zion," for example, is one of several songs that act as worship or prayers to the Lord. I love the joy exuding in the end of the song, where it declares that it (joy) "will never be destroyed, cause we are the children (of Zion)." These strong and focused lyrics are likely to ease the mind of anyone that's put off or worried by the tribal imagery in the album's artwork. Believe me, these guys aren't pushing voodoo, but the King of Kings, clearly described here as Jesus.
This is a very good record. It's amazing that their live show even takes it a notch further power-wise. Here's hope and a prayer that vocalist Chili Field's questionable health in regards to his throat will be restored to performance levels again.
Other coverage for this album
Art for the Ears 2000Reviewed by Marco PovervestThe follow-up of their Spirit Of Life EP contains the six songs from the EP re-recorded plus eight new songs. It's not easy to describe their sound as they mix up hardcore and metal. There's a clear Deftones influence which you can hear in Some People and Zion. Let's call it new metal for lack of a better term. Especially the vocals remind me of Chino Moreno. One moment the vocals can be…Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by the ProjectOh boy, brace yourselves, 3rd Root's A Sign of Things to Come will kill you. Literally! This album was such a lame effort that I could not bear listening to it. The guitar was halfway decent but it was too repetitive. Every song sounded the same, NOT KIDDING! Hey people if you are into hard-core music with a singer that sounds like he is mumbling this is your disk. The singer sounds like Kurt…Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by Hey YouAt first, I wasn't impressed at this album. After a few spins, I realized that these guys are very good. The distorted music with singing vocals, becomes very catchy. Then the music just goes full speed and Chili (vocals) screams his head off. It reminds me a lot of Luti-Kriss, but doesn't sound at all like them. Just in the way they perform their breakdowns and the way they sing and scream. I…Similar sounding releases
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