Tourniquet

Item: Carry The Wounded
Author: Erik Sellin

Carry The Wounded

(1995)

Reviewed by Erik Sellin

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Label Intense RecordsThe LighthouseJuly 1995

hard rock progressive metal thrash metal

As their previous album, Vanishing Lessons, was in many ways a dramatic change in musical style for Tourniquet, Carry The Wounded is in many ways a continuing progression. The group strays further from their heavy history, but develops overall as a solid band in hard Christian music.

The 5-song EP begins with the title cut, which is musically along the lines of "Your Take" on Vanishing Lessons. The song is one of encouragement for those who have been wounded spiritually and reminds us of God's unconditional love for us.

Single headbangers may want to skip the next song. "When The Love Is Right" is actually quite good for what it is-a piano ballad. Yes, a ballad. A love song written by drummer Ted Kirkpatrick (who also performs an acoustic guitar solo) to his fiancee. This is a beautiful song, it just seems strange knowing that spinning in the CD player is a disc by Tourniquet.

Next is a cover of a Fleetwood Mac tune, "Oh Well." Some parts of this song are the heaviest on the CD, but aside from the single verse, "Now when I talk to God I know He understands, He says stick by me I'll be your guiding hand," it is, lyrically, quite cryptic.

The band also includes an acoustic remake of "My Promise" (from Vanishing Lessons), which is a song written from the perspective of a new step-father to his son. The beginning of the song sounds similar to the original, but drastically changes when the violin and cello take the place of the electric guitar. Relatively new singer Luke Easter rises to the occasion of these softer songs, though not quite as ably as he does to the harder material.

The last song, "Heads You Lose, Tails I Win," has a very catchy, almost danceable guitar groove. Makes for a great top-down driving-in-the-summer tune.

This album is definitely a major departure from what is normally expected from the band called Tourniquet, but this fresh direction may attract a new circle of fans for them. Moreover, the first and last songs alone are worth the price of admission, and will probably appeal to fans of Tourniquet's harder past.