This album is from a brand new Leviticus. The addition of Terry H. and Ez Gomer have brought a much more commercially-accessible sound to the once rough and coarse sound of earlier Leviticus. Terry's vocals are very strong (absolutely killer, actually!) and yet melodic. Bjorn's songwriting has improved dramatically. This album is so hot it sizzles! The new sound is melodic metal. The standout songs are: "Flames of Fire"; "Saved"; "Elijah on Carmel" and "The Suffering Servant." "Flames of Fire" starts off with a crescendo of Terry's vibrato'd screams. The lyrics punch right in with bold praises: "You are clothed with majesty and glory/ and cover Yourself with light..." The rest of the song declares how God created the earth with His mighty power. The guitar screams throughout this song, mimicking Terry's voice often, as though it were human. The drums cascade through each verse and rumble an exclamation point as it heads into the chorus. "Saved" starts off with a loud sincere shout of "Praise the Lord! I'm saved." This song downright kicks. "The First and the Last" was written with God speaking. "See all your angry enemies/ lie confused and shattered/ anyone opposing you will die/ You will look for them in vain/ they will all be gone/ I am holding you by your right hand/ I, the Lord your God/ and I say to you, 'Don't be afraid.'" "I'm a Believer" is a profession of faith and no, it's not a cover version of the old Monkees song. It says to God, "When Your Word is spoken to me/ I believe in what it says/ I take the Word in my mouth/ and I believe in the power it gets...Glory, glory hallelujah/ I praise You Lord." "Don't Go Out" is a song that says, "Don't go out looking for the kingdom/ Cause it's already here...Because the kingdom is within you/ It is here to live inside you." "Elijah on Carmel" is a direct biblical account of the test between the Lord and Baal, where the Baal prophets called upon their Gods and got no answer and Elijah called upon the name of the Lord and the fire of the Lord fell and burned up everything. (1 Kings 18:20-38) Ez Gomer makes a powerful showing on bass throughout this song. He lays down an incredible bass line! "The Suffering Servant" is an epic taken from Isaiah 41 and 53. It starts off with a beautiful classical acoustic intro with softly sung lyrics, which turn into power chords, pounding drums and triumphant declarations that must've used all the air in Terry's lungs to sing. Oh my! This song is so powerful! Do you ever become speechless while hearing a song? There's such power in the arrangement, performance and lyrics of the song. Whew! "Get Up" is a fired-up, high-energy exhortation to the body written by Ez Gomer: "Don't be afraid/ who can do you any harm?/ Your debts are paid/ you are resting in My arms." "Love Is Love" is a metal ballad-type song taken straight from 1 Corinthians 13. The guitar sound is very nice (especially loud). The drums, a la Kjell Andersson, add a heavy punch. All throughout this album, you'll find ad-lib screams and verses by Terry H that show the mark of a real professional vocalist. He has the confidence and skill to go off on his own during bridges and finishes. This is something you won't find on a lot of Christian albums. Also in this album is lots of scripture. Tons of it, in fact. Bjorn really uses the Word in his lyrics. This album was produced by Peo Pettersson, who does an immaculate job, making this record one of the very, very best records in Christian music. This album is available through Solid Rock Imports. Spring Arbor will be picking it up very, very soon, so try your Christian bookstore. Word to the wise, "Buy this album now. It's too good to miss."
Other coverage for this album
Heaven's Metal #13Reviewed by Doug Van PeltLeviticus used to be good. Now they're great. They've moved right into that "world class" elite brand of bands I mentioned before. Terry Hjortander, who goes by Terry H in the US (for obvious reasons. How do you pronounce Hjortander?), has helped Leviticus refine their sound for a more melodic, yet stronger sound. Bjorn Stigsson, who basically is Leviticus, has also very much improved his…