No Innocent Victim
Flesh and Blood
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
This album was forgotten . . . or at least we were. The record label advertised with us, but forgot to hook us up with a review copy. We love this band, so we decided to give the label a call and commence to reviewing this slab of metalcore. The first thing to note about this album is how significant it is to have a Christian band being distributed by a label with the underground and street cred of Victory. This is the kind of thing us hard music kids have been praying for all the time! The second thing to note is the nice 'n' nasty guitar tones and overall heaviness that engineer Barry Poynter brings to the table. Flesh and Blood conveys the kind of energy and chaos that's present at a NIV live show. The title track sets the heavy metal tone for the album, while tunes like "Answer To No One," recall older school days, with cannon-fire snare drums and punk rawk riffs. "Never Face Defeat" recalls Vengeance Rising intensity and speed. These four guys kill! It's very impressive that guitarist Corey Edelmann holds down the fort (guitars) all by himself. I like the muscle of "Whitewashed Tomb," which gets pronounced above the noise with dynamic rests and do-or-die vocals. It may have its roots in San Diego hardcore, but No Innocent Victim is about as metal as metal gets! ('cept no metal album never had no humorous samples in between songs like this'n!)