Shout
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Reviewed by David Bixler
Ken Tamplin is a name that should be quite familiar to most Christian metal enthusiasts. After a stint with Joshua, he went on to headline the pop-metal band Shout. After Shout, he went on to release a myriad of solo releases, as well as Big Bang by Magdallan, which actually had a Shout feel to it. Well, it has been 10 years since Shout released an album, and they are back again with the same lineup. This CD is trademark Ken Tamplin . . . soaring vocals, great harmonies, killer guitar playing, and overall good musicianship. But 10 years can do some things to your sound. Some of the songs on here feel like they could have been either on It Won't Be Long or In Your Face, with the pop-metal sensibilities and blazing guitars. But other influences find their way onto this CD. Some of these songs have the feel that was heard on Tamplin's self-titled release on Benson, with a more driving hard rock sound. Several of the ballads are acoustic based, one even starting off with a piano, drawing from Ken's We the People solo release. So, this CD is pretty much a potpourri of many musical influences throughout his career. Don't worry, though, as this album still smells like Shout. And though there isn't quite anything on here like the song "In Your Face," and none of the ballads, in my opinion, quite match "Find a Way" from Shout's first album, this is a solid disc. Hopefully this won't be the last, as I don't want to wait another ten years.