Translated from the original French
After "White", "Barren" and plenty of others, here is "Neon". NEON CROSS has chosen to be an illuminated cross, and so much the better! Their long-awaited first album has rewarded our wait! What a sound! Dino Elefante is in on it again (even if he is not the producer), and you can hear it. It is the big sound, and above all the big drums (mind you, given the drummer's build, that is not really surprising!!). "Heartbreaker" opens the album with a good heavy, fairly fast; then "Frontline Life" with that completely crazy vocal intro: NEON CROSS's vocalist has a very, very wide vocal range; and that is largely what makes NEON CROSS different: David Raymond Reeves often uses two very different vocal registers: it is particularly "visible" on "Victory", "Far Cry (From Eden)", and "I'm not Alone". "I'm not Alone" has a very cool intro, then starts off on a very heavy tempo, but a fairly fast one. In fact this album contains no slow at all: NEON CROSS means to be a true heavy metal band, properly aggressive, and four-square. All through this album, one notes that the drummer hits very hard. The slowest track, and the one that comes closest to commercial heavy, is "(This Is) The Right Time", with very melodious backing vocals. But the monument of this first album is a track that already appeared on their legendary demo "Frontline Life": "We are the Children (of our Lord)". Whoah! That is the single in prospect!! A fast tempo, a crazy chorus, and vocals...! David Raymond Reeves uses nothing here but his upper register. It is crazy from start to finish!! Truly a hymn of White Metal, a little in the same way as STRYPER's "Soldiers Under Command". In short, NEON CROSS has a really stunning first album.
Other coverage for this album
Dead Zine 2003Reviewed by NecRoSarXNeon Cross was one of those influential Christian metal bands from the late 80s that released a highly acclaimed album out of nowhere, and then quickly disappeared from the scene. Despite what the name of the band may tell you, their sound was the more gritty and darker side of melodic metal, more on par with Rage Of Angels, Saint, Leviticus and that other band with a cross in their name, Barren…Heaven's Metal #17Reviewed by Doug Van PeltA very deserving, original band has made their full-length vinyl debut. This is hot, non-stop metal. You'll hear ten songs on this tape that never let up. It's an album for metalheads only, not written to try and reach a bigger, commercially-oriented market. Outstanding cuts in Christian metal's vault of classic tunes are "We Are the Children (Of Our Lord)" and "Far Cry (From Eden)." I was…Similar sounding releases
1988Barren CrossAtomic Arena
1994KreysonAngel On The Run
1987WhitecrossWhitecross
1991Sacred WarriorObsessions
1988BloodgoodRock in a Hard Place
1990Holy SoldierHoly Soldier
