
Imagine you're John Schlitt: For years, you've been the voice of the official rock band of youth pastors everywhere, and then one day the band's final founding member stops touring and suddenly, it's not a band anymore, it's a "franchise." The next logical step is to open a Petra in every mall in America. Add the fact that the secular bands Petra has artistically competed against--Styx, Journey, REO Speedwagon--are only touring now on the Vegas circuit, that's brought Petra:Nashville (the home franchise, if you will) such a pristine shine. Unfit for Swine is actually pretty good, with whining, modern rock guitars and dark, angular chord changes. Oddly, the weakest link is Schlitt's voice--there's a lot of baggage to deal with, a lot of arena-rock posturing he needs to unlearn--but Unfit for Swine finds him working hard on that, too. Petra fans will be surprised. Those who'd written him off might want to give Schlitt a chance as well.