Like the "Stay of Execution" album by Deliverance (also produced by Terry Taylor, hmm!?), this album by Saviour Machine establishes a fresh new sound. Combining all the theatrical elements of artists like David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Queen and mixing them with the tuned-down-to-C-or-D and minor chord sound of recent Metallica and the high frequency treble guitar sound of 70's rock, Saviour Machine has achieved a haunting gothic slab of heavy music. This is not an album full of singles. This is an album you experience! Those out there who get what Queensryche is doing should identify with this material. The pouting vocals are what give Saviour Machine its personality, yet the rhythm section of guitarist Jeff Clayton, bassist Dean Forsyth and drummer Samuel West are what gives Saviour Machine its staying power. What gives Saviour Machine its depth, though, is its thought-provoking lyrics. Some of the words here are insightful, some are pointed and some are disturbing. Here's an artist that's not afraid to speak, that's not afraid to confront and/or confuse. As is the book of Revelation, which many of these lyrics are based on, these tunes are open to interpretation. For example, "The Wicked Window" could very well offer commentary on television: "The wicked window's eyes/they fortify the lies...They hypnotize the others/the wicked window dies/then horrifies my eyes/peep show, creep show, peep show, freak show." "Christians and Lunatics" will undoubtedly disturb some: "Christians and lunatics search for the light/Catholics and Mormons will fight in the night/Preachers and presidents steal from them all/Teachers and leaders awaiting the signs of its fall/Follow me in madness, follow me in fear/Touch me in your silence, rape me in your tears/Let the sea of sadness free the chosen one/Legacy of horror, manifest the Son." The last line here offers a bold, confrontational exhortation. Even though the remnant of the church throughout the ages has a legacy of mercy and love, the church also has a horrible legacy of murder, hate and prejudice (the dark ages, the Inquisition, the Crusades). The word to the church is to right the wrongs of the past by truly manifesting the heart and works of Christ. Heavy indeed. The song titled "Jesus Christ" seems to take a questioning look at Jesus, yet beneath the surface seems to acknowledge/recognize that Jesus does listen to the cries of the suffering. The song ends with a description of true redemption: "without hate, without pain...without death/without fire, without lies that feed the liar, without war, without games, without fear to take the blame...without drugs that heal the coward...without judgment...let us see, set us free." Added to this list is "without hope," which, if you think about it, there won't be any hope in Heaven, because hope won't be needed. We will have our hopes met. Most of the music on the album seems to have been crafted around the lyrics, like on "The Widow and The Bride," where the pace is fast and frantic like the storyline concerning the whore of Babylon and the saints of God. "Legion" has a cool keyboard fill that contrasts with the rest of the sound, which creates a musical tension, matching the tension lyrically that the demon named "Legion" causes as it invades and possesses. The coolest riff on the album is probably the Egyptian-like notes in "Killer," reminding me of early Rainbow material. This is an album to make its listeners think--or just listen to the majestic progression enclosed therein. Musically, it will require the average "hit me over the head with thrash" metalhead to stretch quite a bit to embrace; but the music does something creative, which is often hard to accept at first. Could these guys be that good? If not, at least it will be influential to other artists.
Other coverage for this album
Heaven's Metal #34Reviewed by Doug Van PeltThis independently-released cassette and CD shows a dark hard rockin' band grappling with tears of pain, relating visions of the King and expressing themselves--all the while experimenting with music. While easily fitting into the category of alternative, the up front drumming and quick pace of tunes like "Retribution", "Streams" and "Transcendence" could make a confused audience headbang. The…