Various Artists
All Hail the Power
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
P.K. Mitchell knows the genre of heavy metal. A veteran of Neon Cross, P.K. starts off this hard rockin' worship album with a good dose of youthful humor. A lady croonin' away at Amazing Grace with a not-so-amazing falsetto is cut short with a needle scraping across a record and a resounding "NOT!!" Next Jim La Verde, Glen Mancaruso, P.K. and vocalist Robin Kyle go after it with a 90's version of the revered tune of old. Starting off the album with Mr. Vocals was a great idea, cuz the guy's pipes are awesome. He takes the mike on two other songs: Leaning On The Everlasting Arms and God Be With You. Leaning... sounds like a Die Happy tune, with a very big grunge tone. Dana Hiett makes a good appearance on Trust and Obey. Take My Life is a foot-stompin' rocker that could fit nicely in a Guardian album. Dale Oliver is a good vocalist. This is his best showing off his three tunes. Remember Malachia? (Red Sunrise album) Well, vocalist Ken Pike sounds as good as ever here. It's cool to hear the machine gun fire sampling added for that gritty war-like effect. Dana Croucier puts in a stellar performance in the title track, a fast-paced burner that she gallops along with proficiently. The guitars in this song do some serious wailing. Imagine Lita Ford doing power metal... Overall, this project is very special. The musicianship is top notch. I was told that all these players are good friends with P.K. and were more than happy to play on any project he does. As you can see in the ad run in this issue, I've heard all the hard rock/metal praise albums released in the last few years, and this is the best.