Philadelphia

Item: Tell the Truth...
Author: Bert Gangl

Tell the Truth...

(1984)

Reviewed by Bert Gangl

Discogs YouTube

Label Patmos RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth1999

hair metal hard rock heavy metal melodic metal

Mention '80s rock & roll and most people envision groups like Poison, Winger and any number of other bands whose slick, hook-laden pop-metal and highly visual approach locked them in as staples of both rock radio and music television. Of course, in Christian music a comparable, albeit much smaller, collection of artists were combining the sound and appearance of their mainstream counterparts with openly spiritual lyrics. Out of that cadre of artists came the band Philadelphia. The group, which was formed in 1981, spent its formative years playing street corners, high schools and prisons before signing with the now-defunct Patmos Records in 1984. During its tenure, the group released only two albums, 1984's Tell The Truth ... and a concept album, Search and Destroy, a year later before disbanding in 1986. Now, 2000 new copies of the first album have been pressed by Millennium Eight Records, a company specializing in limited-quantity re-releases of classic and out-of-print Christian music.

Like most of their peers, Philadelphia adhered closely to the early Christian metal template, conveying their messages (most often those of salvation or impending judgment) with straightforward language and fairly familiar songwriting techniques. "No Time for Honey" (Honey makes her livin' walkin' the streets in the shadow of the churchyard) uses a storytelling approach, while "Livin' In Love" (Religion, tradition, all that superstition/ Caught up in chains/ I could never be good enough) is first person testimony. And the title cut, with its extensive descriptions of lightning, fire and darkness, employs the apocalyptic imagery that was bread and butter for any number of mainstream and Christian metal bands during the '70s and '80s. But while the lyrics are, by and large, not exactly groundbreaking and seem decidedly dated by this point, the writing, in places, is both proficient and moving. The stark alliteration and rhythmic construction of "The Life Inside" (Hey little girl/ Come to our place/ We got sweet, sweet sleep/ We got masks on our face/ When you wake up/ There won't be a trace) give the song an imposingly haunting quality. And, the near-poetic language of "New Jerusalem" (One thousand years his reign shall be/ Our Lord for all eternity /In New Jerusalem we bend our knee) makes the song's point both eloquently and succinctly.

It's probably safe to say that any number of their contemporaries were more accomplished than Philadelphia--Petra had a more varied repertoire, the Rez band sported a broader set of musical influences and Stryper wrote more consistently melodic songs. And it's not likely that the band themselves had much influence in spawning the veritable horde of Stryper look-and-sound-alikes that dotted the Christian music landscape in the latter half of the '80s. Nevertheless, to its credit, the group was among the very first in Christian metal music, predating the likes of Guardian, Holy Soldier and even earlier acts like Bloodgood and Barren Cross by several years. And, as such, the band, at the very least, did its part to herald the changing face of Christian hard rock music in the 1980s from its early arena rock stylings to full-blown hair metal. And one listen to the imposing power chord barrage of the title cut, the authoritative solo work of "Razor's Edge" or the stirring rhythm texture of the nearly nine minute "New Jerusalem" should be proof enough that the group did so with an energy and enthusiasm that are still inspiring some 15 years later.

3 tocks