Frank Hart and company are back with this newest edition to the saga that is Atomic Opera.
If you bought the band's Penguin Dust cd and were a bit disappointed then you might want to give this band another chance. Not that Penguin Dust was a bad album, cause it wasn't, it's just that Gospel Cola seems to pick up where For Madmen Only left off. Big thick rhythms, nice harmonies (ala King's X style) and memorable choruses make this a great hard rock disc. The style and power of Frank Hart's vocals carries the weight of these groove filled tracks as he paints a lyrical portrait of life as a Christian. The lyrics of Atomic Opera have always been a bit introspective and make the listener think and the newest release is no exception. If anything the lyrics have improved one hundred fold. Kemper Crabb (who is well known for his intelligent songwriting and also his column "The Christian and art" in HM magazine) has joined the band and brings with him an array of mid-eastern and acoustic musical influences. Kemper also brings some well thought out lyrics that, along with Frank's lyrics, come straight from the heart. Making appearances on the new cd are instruments such as the mandolin, dulcimer, recorder, harmonica, Ocarina and Bouzouki (whatever that is!). This new instrumentation is set to a backdrop of the heavy guitar oriented rock that Atomic Opera is known for. The addition of Kemper Crabb to Atomic Opera was possibly the artistic element needed to bring this band out of what was starting to look like a rut. The majority of the songs are still written by Frank but some of my favorites seem to be the ones that are either written by Kemper or by both Kemper and Frank. Standout tracks include: Jesus Junk, Reiah Discerns the Times, Silence and Malediction.
8.5/10
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #84Reviewed by David BixlerI have been an Atomic Opera fan ever since I heard For Madmen Only. I always liked their somewhat unique blend of the Houston sound (the famed King's X groove and crunch) with lush melodies and eclectic musical arrangements. I would daresay that this new release, Gospel Cola, is their best disc to date. This CD perhaps sees Atomic Opera's farthest departure from their similarities to bands like…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Alex KlagesAtomic Opera has resurfaced from being in the realm of the independent artist to being back on a label. A lot has changed for the band since their last label-backed effort, For Madmen Only. Where that was an exercise in the excesses of pop-metal, this most recent album finds Frank Hart, Kemper Crabb, Ryan Birsinger, and John Simmons creating a hard rock work which is equal parts metal, medieval,…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Steven S. BaldwinAtomic Opera are an atypical hard rock band. Sure, Kansas had a violinist, and Jethro Tull had a flutist, but Atomic Opera sports Kemper Crabb playing a whole host of medieval-sounding instruments, including the mandolin, dulcimer, recorder, bouzouki, ocarina, and the harmonica. This gives Atomic Opera an unusual and decidedly ancient vibe to their otherwise contemporary, postmodern metal. With…Similar sounding releases
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