Various Artists
Cool Tunes
Reviewed by John Wilson
At least a dozen compilation albums have appeared to showcase Christian rock music in its emergence during the last few years. Now, with the Christian rock underground rising to the surface, a certain metal magazine editor has taken the matter of exposing the Kingdom's talent to heart and gallantly produced and unleashed one of the most important collections yet, exposing the passion and zeal of 14 fascinating bands - six metal, two thrash, and six mellow-to-hard (he refers to them as "aluminum" - Doug, you metalhead). Some of these bands are on record labels, others aren't; all are very impressive and very professional - in fact, world class. No joking. Cool Tunes opens up with an evocative, straight-ahead rocker called "Porno People" by Blairing Out from Santa Ana, CA, which makes a sobering impression: "Porno people, porno people, porno people, you're gonna DIE!!!" Praise the Lord! Next comes the perfectly obnoxious proclamation "Jesus Is God" by (Country & Western stars) Deliverance, followed by Bloodgood's "Battle of the Flesh" - not the one you're used to, but the original, from when they were underground metal! Paradox (true metal missionaries) follows with "Give a Listen", a melodic and harmonious anthem with a tromping rhythm; record labels should heed the title's (self-explanatory) commission. Next we meet Guardian with "Look to the Future", circa 1987, otherwise totally unavailable, followed by the ever-intimidating Believer, who blast us here with "I.Y.F. (In Your Face)", a comparatively tame thrasher showcasing musicality just when you thought that all they could do was bark and roar. Surprise!! This one's instrumental. A rockin' 1986 tune called "Power" by Sacramento-based First Strike comes next with a hooky chorus much like "Bottom's Up" from Van Halen II. Then comes my first-ever listen to Sweden's prize act, Charizma, with a strong auditorium rocker called "Take You High". Thus ends Side Metal (not Side One, "Side Metal"...Doug, you metalhead). Side Aluminum begins with a regal effect: The Cry's mesmerizing "There Is One". Very, very good. Fellow Austin, TX rock personalities The Paul Q-Pek Band then serve up a generous dollop of psychedelia with skill and intensity, with "Kingdom Come". Boy howdy, I so wish this band were still around! Nashville's Legend (formerly Archon) then presents "After the Fall", a tune that is so...awesome it's hard to comment! Produced immaculately!! A new tune by Kemper Crabb, "Sea of Blood", confronts the abortion issue as it truly is - a curse, no less; and it's laudable that someone did it in a non-thrash capacity. Next we welcome "Take Me" by Narnia (but recorded in 1986, when they were Aslan), which sounds like "Sweetheart" by Franke & The Knockouts (pop radio '82), and expresses an attitude of surrender to our God. Concluding the collection is a very cool tune by The Nation (defunct), an exceedingly intense number that voices honestly the concern of, well, brokenness before God, not overlooking the (integral) assurance that God has human-like empathy too. Do not miss Cool Tunes, or you really will have!