ApologetiX

Item: Grace Period
Author: Rick Chromey

Grace Period

(2002)

Reviewed by Rick Chromey

Discogs YouTube

Label ParodudesThe Phantom Tollbooth2002

comedy pop rock rock

Apologetix isn't your average parody band. Though billed as "Billy Graham meets Weird Al," the moniker is hardly accurate. With theological nails they hammer their points deeper and with nearly flawless precision their songs sound practically like the original. When was the last time Billy preached the kings of Judah ("Good Guys, Bad Guys") or Yankovic parodied Styx' classic rocker "Renegade" like Apologetix ("Lemonade")?

Furthermore, the frightening truth is they're pretty good at it. Apologetix fears no decade and runs the table on the tunes they tackle, from Linkin Park's "In The End" to Charlie Daniels' "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" to the Beatles' "Love Me Do." In a twist of the lyrics they turn Simon and Garfunkel's lusty "Cecilia" into the story of Cornelius and Peter (Acts 10). Or the Village People's randy "YMCA" into an apologetic for understanding the use of YHWH in the Old Testament. Or Train's "Drops of Jupiter" into the apocalyptic demise of the Devil ("Drop of Lucifer").

To be honest, there are few clunkers on this effort. In fact, with six other full-length parody albums under their belts, Apologetix may have finally delivered the album that gets them some well-deserved and overdue praise. Musical highlights include "Smooth Grandmama"--a parody of Alien Ant Farm/Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" which features searing guitar work and well-crafted lyrics. Or the aforementioned "The Devil Went Down To Jordan" which not only sounds like the original but also features one of Charlie Daniels' own fiddlers on the famous solo. Or "Don't Fear The People"--a parody of the Blue Oyster Cult classic--focusing on early Christian martyrs and is so close to the original hit that few might recognize the difference without the lyrics. Weird Al did parodies. Apologetix actually hungers to hit every note and even sound like the lead vocalist, whether it's Kurt Cobain ("Smells Like Thirtysomething Spirit") or Smashmouth's version of "I'm A Receiver"...er,...believer.

The value of Apologetix is their knack to craft a lyric that teaches a biblical truth or story. One moment they're talkin' 'bout "Regeneration" (spoofing the Who). The next they're arguing against anti-Semitism ("Love The Jews") with Bible references. In another song they'll re-tell the story of Thomas' lack of faith ("Tom Saw Ya") and in another the band will rewrite Uncle Kracker's "Follow Me" to explain the choosing of the disciples. In the end, you're not only treated to Top 40 tunes but also testaments of the faith.

With all that said, are there any flaws? A few. Apologetix attempts to duplicate the raw energy of Springsteen's "Born To Run" in "Born From Above" and falters. It's not bad. It's just hard to improve upon The Boss' passion and grit. Sometimes they stretch a lyric or title to an inane end, such as altering the Beach Boys' classic surf rocker "Barbara Ann" into the sheepishly silly "Baa! We're The Lambs." Maybe that's why it's the last song.

Grace Period clearly improves on their past efforts. In fact, it's their best to date. Weird Al can now start taking notes. Billy, too.

5 tocks