Whoa, Nelly! Them Barren Cross boys have returned! And they act like they have something to prove! Barren Cross, who I used to think would become more popular than Stryper, was definitely a favorite of the majority of Christian metalheads only a short six years ago. Now they've got to prove they can still stretch those arms and legs (but not in those spandex uniforms, please!) and kick out the jams. Not only that, but they must prove that they're relevant and not just a nostalgia trip. Well, the proof is all on tape (and compact disc) for everyone to hear -- Barren Cross is back, and they deserve your attention.
While their three tunes on Premium Cuts already proved (in my mind) that the band was on the right track, these other new tunes take the band to the next level. In fact, I'd just as soon skip over the old cuts when I here this full-length album on CD. While "Here I Am," "Midnight Son" and "Time For Love" wet my appetite for more Barren Cross, this new stuff satisfies my belly. The title track, which leads off the album, certainly lives up to its name for those who think that the true power metal sound is going to just lie dormant and die. Jim LaVerde's bass tones immediately jump out of the mix and scream, "I'm relevant! I shake your bones! I'll bust your speakers!" Attention all metalheads: This is an album to get excited about!
Does anybody doubt my word here? Just crank up "Unsuspecting." This song kills, and it spits, and it energizes. Vocally, Mike Lee tips his hat in the spit angry direction of Dave Mustaine. The rumbling bass tone is over the top here, complimenting the biting guitar tone of Ray Parris. This is the one song I keep coming back to again and again. "Feed The Fire" is an out 'n' out 4/4 rocker! Ya gotta hear the "thump-thump-thumpa-thump" rhythm these guys hold down. It's like an angry, angry AC-DC minor riff that keeps kicking. Lyrically, it's along the lines of "Stage of Intensity," as it describes a concert audience getting all fired up about being fed some killer music. Sometimes, as in this song and the title track, Mike Lee's vocals do sound a bit trite as they conjure up the old Manowar/Saxon metal image of one leather-spiked fist in the air. Most everywhere else, though, they really sound good.
On the other side of the musical spectrum, the ballad, "Let It Go, Let It Die" is an awesome work of penmanship. Check out this line in the context of someone who's been hurt by another: "Jesus said, 'Let it go, and let it die/ I paid for that brother's wrongs with My life.'" Whoa! I don't know about you, but I call that gut wrenching and powerful!
Some of the other tunes find the band taking a melodic/commercial approach. It's not really in the same direction as the Elefante-produced early BC, but more akin to the commercial hits of Iron Maiden in the late 80's. "No Time To Run" is a perfect example, with its relaxed guitar strumming and clean, story-telling vocals. Speaking of stories, there's one in "JRM" about a boy-girl situation that gets a little funny.
Like most albums, there's a couple songs that are average-to-great, but the standout cuts here are so hot that I want to make this album a regular part of my musical diet for a while.