It's become a trend in the Christian music industry for bands to merely copy the sound of more popular secular artists. On first listen, it becomes quite apparent that Lucerin Blue is going after the Linkin Park sound with a pinch of Foo Fighters thrown in for good measure on their debut release, Tales of the Knife, for Tooth & Nail Records. But before anyone writes them off as just another CCM ripoff band, I'd just like to say that this album is really good. Although it doesn't quite have the same rich, in-your-face wall of sound intensity that you would hear on a Linkin Park album, I enjoy the somewhat less polished production.
The great thing about this style of music is that it's obviously hard rock but will still appeal to more traditional alternative fans. A few songs here even have a distinct punk flavor. I would expect to hear a lot of Lucerin Blue on Christian hard rock radio shows and possibly even growing into receiving some mainstream attention ala POD, Chevelle, etc.
Lyrically, Lucerin Blue manages to be passionate without resorting to nihilistic lines such as, "in the end it doesn't even matter." In fact, the lyrics on this album might be the thing that really sets this album apart. While retaining the sentiment that we live in a world full of shams that most hard music seems to revel in, Lucerin Blue takes the initiative and lyrically challenges the listener to think about why that is and take steps to overcome the fallen world in which we live.
Nathan Byle (guitars and background vocals), Justin Morgan (vocals and guitars), Paul Rennick (bass and background vocals) and Ryan Turner (drums) have been playing together since late 1997, originally appearing as Natural Saint. Hopefully these four guys will continue to develop both lyrically and sonically in the years to come. Tales of the Knife is an impressive debut and one of the best albums Tooth & Nail has released in recent memory.
3.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis August 2003Reviewed by Luke HarlowLucerin Blue are a four-piece hard rock band out of Canada. "Tales of the Knife" is their first record for Tooth and Nail. Lucerin Blue combines melodic vocals with aggressive, riffing guitars; the occasional screaming and sporadic softer, melodious instrumentation elicits comparisons to bands like P.O.D. and Linkin Park. Like those bands, Lucerin Blue offers a sound that is both accessible and…Similar sounding releases
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