Jesus Freaks
Socially Unacceptable
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
I should've known that the debut album (EP) by Jesus Freaks would be a good product. I mean, the only other really metal band that Narrowpath ever signed was an unknown band called The Crucified. The Jesus Freaks, though young, have put out a very credible thrash record. Narrowpath has done what is sure to become a trend in our current economy: short EP releases of new bands that give the public a good taste of a band without a big recording budget. Sonically, these tunes sound good. The drums aren't monstrous, but they're adequate at backing up the rhythm section, which rounds out with pretty good guitar tones and solid bass. The best thing about Jesus Freaks' music is their songwriting. They've developed some cool riffs and fitted them together tightly with attitude vocals. It's pretty easy to spot the Metallica influence in this trio's music--especially in Eric Peterson's vocals. The guitar leads by Zach Martinez are fast, difficult and adequate, but not as outstanding as his tight rhythms. You could say they're expected, versus creative surprises. In Die With Me, he shows good concentration and speed as the band plays several measures in a row. The hottest song, in my opinion, is Hypocrite, a tension-building tune that basically erupts in choruses of "Hypocrite!" It's got power. Eric sounds a lot like James Hetfield of Metallica, but it sounds good. Jesus Freaks are a credible thrash band. If they get any decent distribution, I predict they'll be very popular. The biggest drawback to this album? It's too short!