With the opening chord, these guys make it clear where they are coming from. Actually, clear is not the right word at all--with these guys the guitar distortion dial is set to 11, (my apologies to Spinal Tap). Just when my expectations were set up for barely understood vocals that are more growled than sung, I was pleasantly surprised. The vocals are not only mixed so that they are "in front" of the instruments, but Dann Gunn can sing. Don't get me wrong, I like the "screamed-in-anguish" vocal sound as much as anyone, but someone who can really sing can express more emotional variety in the course of an album.
Another advantage of clear vocals is that the lyrics are worth listening to. While this is not a theme album, most of the songs do carry a common idea--we are stuck in a corrupt world, but there is hope. As they indicate in more than one of their songs, the hope is not just for the Christian, but is to be taken to the corrupt world. I should also note that the lyrics are not overtly Christian. I'm not sure that Jesus is mentioned by name in any of the songs, but He's there. For example in the title track: "I hear a voice/That calls to me/Alive upon a Poisoned Tree/'I know your soul/By shape and name/This taste of death/Can make you sane.'"
Now the big shock for me was that all of this was accomplished by two musicians. Dann Gunn on guitar and vocals and Mike Santrock on drums. That's right, a two man noise machine--they are helped out on a couple of tracks, but most of the sound on this release is their's. When I first discovered this, I re-listened to the album trying to figure out how much of the sound was created by over-dubbing multiple guitars. To my surprise, I think that to a large extent they are going to sound live pretty much as they sound on the album.
I really like this one. There's not many albums of this genre where one can walk away actually singing the lyrics of a chorus. There's even fewer albums where it's worthwhile to use a few brain cells to remember the lyrics. This one qualifies. Give this one to your favorite grunge loving teenager, but only after you've cleaned the cobwebs out of your own speakers.
Other coverage for this album
Heaven's Metal #52Reviewed by Doug Van PeltThe debut release by this creative twosome is an original approach to heavy pop. I'd cite Balance of Power era Undercover as an influence here, as the vocals of Dann Gunn are very passionate. The bass throbs and drives most of the tunes. Fans of Euro-alternative pop (like Mad At The World), as well as some classic metal fans both can find something to like here -- in every song! It's an odd blend…
