Wow! I wish I could just stop the review with that and pray that you give this album a listen, but since some people need to know more about it I will attempt to give it its due respect. Believe me when I say that this album is a must, yes must. The band has moved to T&N Records from R.E.X. Records and has changed their style but without the loss of a single drop of power. This album is directed to the unsaved, kinda asking them to look at their lives and accept Christ and become reborn, hence the album title. From the opening song on this album is loaded with fury, and all praise given to Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour.
The style of the album is more on the lines of Metal with Hardcore beats if you can catch my drift. There really isn't any other way that I could possibly explain it to you other than for you to just get the album and listen for yourself. The first song, "Reborn Empowered" starts out with a tribal type drum intro that moves to the guitars and then just explodes with pure power. From there the songs do not digress a bit, like in some other albums, and progress with this new powerful approach. "Truth Solution", the second song, is one of the best songs on the album with fury filled guitars and raging drums and vox. Other notables are, quite frankly, the whole rest of the album, I can't pick out a bad song, or even a weak song, they just all crank. Even the acoustic guitar piece, "Presence of God", is superbly done with all of the musicianship associated with them. Having the honor to see these guys play live at Cornerstone just intensified my love for this CD and band. They are super Christians and I'm really sorry that they were too busy for an interview so that you readers out there would be able to hear what they are about.
"Sellout", to me is a very special song, not only because it comes directly from Phillipians 1:21, "To live is Christ to die gain", but I have a story that goes along with it. A year and a half ago I started dating my now fiance, and at that time I renewed my commitment with Christ. My friends, or so called friends, at the time really came down on me and questioned my belief. They called her and me up all night long talking to her and telling her that they thought that it was wrong that we believed and that it was bad for us to do so. Thank God she was strong, because being a new Christian I probably would have fallen back into satan's grasp. That night, these friends scraped the word "Sellout" into my door for all the campus to see. I will never forget that. Now I can turn around and say to them "to live is Christ to die gain", and know that the Lord is looking over me to try and change their lives as he has changed mine.
I would recommend this album to anyone, not only because of the musical talent and groove, but for the salvation that someone will find in reading the lyrics and asking God for forgiveness for their lives. If you know someone out there that is not living for Christ, play this album for them, let them read the lyrics, memorize the lyrics, sing them loud to them, and pray that Christ will come into their hearts and bring salvation to their souls.
Fav Song: Truth Solution/Sellout
Rating: 10
This is my first and probably only perfect rating, they won't be easy to beat.
10/10
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #114Reviewed by Ryan ClarkWhat can I say about this album? It’s hard to describe the feeling that Christian metal-heads experienced upon first hearing Reborn. This was the album it seems we were all waiting for. Living Sacrifice had just signed to Solid State Records after quite a hiatus from their previous album Inhabit, and had experienced some major lineup movement, including Bruce Fitzhugh, who previously played…7ball #14Reviewed by Brad CavinessRarely has an album title been so appropriate. Living Sacrifice is indeed Reborn on its debut for Tooth & Nail Records. Gone are the death metal and grindcore references that made the band a joke to most fans of other musical genres. In their place are nods to artists like Helmet, Tool, Korn, and Six Feet Deep. The change is not imitative, but a natural extension of the band's previous image. The…The Blue Star Journal July 1997Reviewed by Kurt MorrisWhat am I supposed to say about a band like Living Sacrifice? Give me any of their old stuff and I'd kick you in the face. I hated them. They were stupid metal. But I went and saw them at Cornerstone and their show was incredible. So much energy, power, and just such a huge sound. So, I came home and bought the CD and haven't been disappointed one bit. The style of LS has changed into more of a…The Blue Star Journal July 1997Reviewed by David ReynoldsIf you delve into the annals of metaldom, you'll find everything from the fathers of heavy metal, Led Zeppelin (by today's standards, not "heavy" at all), AC/DC (really more "hard rock" than metal), and Metallica to the speed metal of Megadeth to the grindcore/death metal people to the "grunge" metal of Alice In Chains and Sepultura to metal's close cousin, Gothic. Living Sacrifice draws on all…Critical Mass #3Reviewed by Tom EdmondsonLS pumped out three brutal albums in a short period of time (1991-1994) and then was out of the studio for about three years. During that time they lost singer/bassist DJ. Then guitarist, Bruce Fitzhugh, stepped in and took over as singer and Jason Truby's (the other guitarist) younger brother, Chris, took up playing the bass. This story, which isn't too unfamiliar in the Christian Metal scene…Similar sounding releases
2001As I Lay DyingBeneath the Encasing Of Ashes
2003ZaoLegendary
2005UnearthOur Days of Eulogy
2003Falling CycleThe Conflict
2003IntegrityTo Die For
1997ConvergePetitioning the Empty SkyMore from Living Sacrifice
2005In Memoriam
2000The Hammering Process
1993Metamorphosis
1992Nonexistent
1990No Yielding to Ungodly
1991Living Sacrifice
