This long, long, long-awaited album unleashes the commercial sound of melodic metallers - Guardian. Producer Oz Fox crafted a refined, polished sound out of four very talented musicians. Tony Palacios' guitar work sings above the mix with clarity, accenting the tight drumming by Rikk Hart and the solid bass lines of David Bach. Paul Cawley's vocals are clean and have a good midrange. "Livin' for the Promise" is a rockin' anthem telling of God's goodness and trustworthiness. "Miracle", a haunting song that used to be "Miracle of the Galaxy", whispers along until it builds enough to explode with pounding bass drums and power chords. It settles back down and takes off again a few more times before it's over. "Saints Battalion" is a spiritual battlecry with a rousing guitar intro. Rikk exhibits some good double-bass drumming, joining with David to create a solid low end. I cranked up the bass on my stereo to check this out, and it's tough. "The Good Life" is a raw, bluesy hard rocker with a Guns 'n' Roses or AC-DC style rhythm. Lyrically, it's pretty upfront about the emptiness that life in the fast lane causes due to its endless pursuit of fun. "One of a Kind" showcases Guardian's California party-rock sound with shades of Van Halen. Oz produced a good background vocal sound throughout the album, which shines the brightest in this song. "World Without Love" is a heavy anthem with plenty of guitar crunch and riffs. "Rock in Victory" is another anthem with a giant sing-along chorus. Guardian invites us to celebrate eternal life and "rock in victory/ no way you can lose." Tony's guitar takes off into outer space on this one. His guitar tone is hot. Compact disc buyers get three extra special treats on this one: "Hyperdrive"; "Marching On"; and a fun club mix of "The Good Life". "Hyperdrive" is the first Guardian song I ever heard. It's a story about a girl who discovers the love of God, giving her endless energy and joy. It's got a great guitar intro with lots of delay. Oz adds some of his guitar magic to it. "Marching On" was re-recorded since it appeared on the "California Metal" album. The pace is a tad slower here, making it sound a bit crunchier than the previous version. This album is hot and it accomplishes the awesome feat of living up to the underground buzz it's been creating for almost two years. Buy it and pray for radio exposure.