This professionally packaged cassette starts off with a big-sounding intro. Apparently Xalt has put a lot of money into their music. The cover art looks great. The production sounds full. "The Cross" starts off with a hot lick. Guitarist James Erdman has found a good sound. "God In A Box" has a pretty good hook and a great message: "We smile a lot, but our hearts don't ache...We've got God in a box." Xalt's sound reminds me of the Amboy Dukes' early sound, which seems to indicate that their roots are right near their home in Michigan. Counting the intro, there's four instrumentals on the tape, "Soldiers In The Mill" being the best of the lot. "Angry Fire" has kind of a North American Indian sound to it, or at least what Hollywood has told us what Indian-style music is. Xalt shows lots of potential. Considering their age, Xalt should have a bright future. "Ready For The Fight" has a hot drum sound and an aggressive rhythm. It's a good hard-driving song. Everything in this song wins. Vocalist Scott Doerfler is at his best, the band is smoking hot and the lyrics kill. This tape fares better than a lot of underground attempts at quality recordings. With the focus of "Dark War" squarely upon spiritual warfare, it must be considered a success in the message category. In the musical category, this project lacks enough originality, tightness and captivating vocals to dazzle today's rock and roll consumer. Collectors are gonna want this, 'cause we're probably gonna hear more from Xalt.
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