Seraiah
Soldier of Jehovah
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
To be honest with you, I'm afraid often times when I receive a demo tape in the mail. Afraid the band is going to be a group of young, inexperienced musicians trying to sound heavy - and coming off with a wimpy sound. Seraiah, fortunately, doesn't fall into this category. They rock hard with a heavy beat. Both the drums and distorted guitars exhibit lots of muscle. "Rock Without Sin" is a driving anthem that wins. It's got that Van Halen flair to it, fun rock with a metal crunch. "Known in Hell" is the next song on the tape, which sounds like someone stole the master tape of AC-DC's recording sessions of "Highway to Hell," when they were contemplating singing Christian lyrics. Just a joke, but the song here sounds a lot like the raw and bluesy rock of AC-DC's earlier days. "Never Have to Say Goodbye Again" is the down spot on the tape. It's a love song from a Christian's perspective: "Forever in heaven, eternal ecstacy/ Jesus, you and me". This ballad comes off weak, because the vocals never really get your attention. A passionate performance is needed here, but wasn't delivered. "The Light" ends this 4-song tape with a straight-ahead rocker. This tape can be obtained for $5 by writing Seraiah @ PO Box 1192, Marion IN 46952.