Urgent Cry / Seraph
Silence / Love³
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
Here's something we'll probably see a lot more of in the future - a split CD, where two bands go in on the cost to pay for one CD to be pressed. It's cheaper and accomplishes about the same impact. A lot of punk bands used to do split 7" singles back in the 80's.
Seraph starts it off with some edgy material that fuses the danceable side with straight-ahead guitar rock. The outcome is pretty palatable, yet some of the non-processed vocals (the processed ones fit better!) are somehow off. The guitar riffs and tones are definitely here, both lead and bass. "Wild Honey" takes a bold and progressive jazz and funk tempo approach that is fresh 'n' groovy. Seraph's creativity will carry them further in the future.
Urgent Cry takes a more melodic approach than their diskmates, albeit relying on the same hard rock base. "Foolish" and "Love to the Third Power" are rockers and "I Disappear" and "Light of the World" are power ballads. Lead vocalist Jamie Baker sounds best and most relaxed in "I Disappear," which is the best moment on the CD.