JIMMY HOTZ - BEYOND THE CRYSTAL SEA reissue

From those who were around the ‘in the old days’ of Jesus music it seemed that the criticism was that the product was inferior. In some ways that might’ve been true. The production values couldn’t compare with the deep pockets of the major labels. So the sound of many early Christian rock albums just weren’t up to snuff.

That being the case even if the musicianship was up to the quality of their secular counterparts, chances were the production would obscure their talent in a wall of sonic mud. Well thanks to Matt at Retroactive he has started another new label, entitled Born Twice it will solely focus on reissuing classic Jesus rock from a bygone era.

Now for me to be honest I’d not heard of Jimmy Hotz before. Yet as I ravaged through my bible bookstore memories I did remember seeing this album before, about 26 years ago. It sat in the ‘demo’ section of my local Bible Bookstore, long out of print. At the time it wasn’t ‘heavy enough’ for me. Well with time comes refinement and greater appreciation, as I slipped an advanced copy into my CD player I truly felt transported Beyond the Crystal Sea.

If you’re a fan of Pink Floyd, Archangel, Yes perhaps Emerson Lake and Palmer than this album should be right up your alley. Beyond the Crystal Sea provides soaring melodies and ethereal moments of synthesizers and keyboards. However Jimmy provides a tasty and emotional lead guitar that he isn’t afraid to bring right on out into the open. His guitar romps are reminiscent of Phil Keaggy or Jeff Beck in style and execution.

I’ve heard Hotz vocals compared to early Peter Gabriel, when he fronted Genesis that might be a fair comparison. The music is of a more relaxed variety that has more in common with 1970 than 2010. Comparisons to Archangel shouldn’t really be attempted, Hotz plays electric progressive rock. Archangel has been more known for their acoustic prowess. It should be noted the Kemper Crabb, leader of Archangel, plays recorder on the instrumental track, ‘Alpine Magic.’

There are also two bonus tracks for nine songs total. ‘Long, Long Ago’ and ‘The Gates of Time’ are fantastic Floydian/Yes styled compositions that add a lot to the album. These additions provide a swirly dreamy musical tapestry that will have hitting repeat on your player more than once.

Yes the production is a bit dated yet it is a reminder that this album was made for love. It wasn’t produced for some type of top ten splash in any market. This album is a labor of love that continues to please those who are lucky enough to unearth it.

Beyond the Crystal Sea is not for everyone, but it is a reminder of the purity and honesty of what Jesus music was in 1979. An art form that hadn’t been completely watered down or corrupted by the selfishness of man. Enjoy this release and take a journey Beyond the Crystal Sea.

8 axes

UP FROM THE ASHES 3 - AUGUST 2010

The year was 1985, the Metal scene was alive and thriving, many magazines and fanzines were popping up to cover the latest and greatest in the metal scene. Magazines like Metal Edge and Spin would rise to the top of the rock and metal scenes in covering the hard rock and metal scene and excel at it for many years. But only one magazine would rise to the occasion of exclusively covering the Christian hard rock and metal scene. One magazine that 25 years later is still alive and thriving today, ‘in a print format’, which is a huge accomplishment, amidst the many ongoing changes in the ways we promote music to the world today!

Join us for one special weekend as we celebrate 25 years of Heaven’s Metal Magazine! Two days of heavenly metal from artists that have in the past, and still do today, grace the pages of Heaven’s Metal magazine! But wait, not only will we be celebrating 25 years of Heaven’s Metal magazine, we will also be celebrating several seminal anniversaries from some of the key artists that helped shape the magazine, many of which still continue to grace the pages of the magazine today!

Featuring performances from Deliverance celebrating the bands 25th Anniversary, Bloodgood celebrating the 25th Anniversary of their ‘Metal Missionaries’ EP, Once Dead celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Vengeance Rising’s ‘Once Dead’ album and a special reunion marking the 25th Anniversary of Stevie and the Saints!!!

Not enough for you? How about performances from New Mexico’s very own Ultimatum in their only California appearance! How about Indiana’s very own Grave Robber in their first and only Southern California appearance! Still want more? How about performances from Klank, fasedown, Stricken, Souljourners, Troglodyte Dawn, Fellguard and I built the Cross!

August 28th and 29th at the Vault in Temecula California, Limited tickets are available for this very special once in a life time event! Join us as we celebrate the Anniversaries of some of the most influential artists in the Christian Metal and Hard Rock Scene and one of the longest running print rock magazines in the industry, Heaven’s Metal!

For full details and ticket information visit http://www.tvsomata.com/thevault/ or www.roxxproductions.com

Also be sure and check out the Official UFTA3 My Space for up to the minute news and updates! http://www.myspace.com/ufta30810

ULF- ENTERTAINERS & SOLDIERS

Ulf Christiansson has been around Christian music longer than most. Being the front man for hard rock stalwarts Jerusalem the name of Ulf has been synonymous with some great driving rock n roll. The songs he’s written are some of the most classic in Jesus rock, 'Man of the World,' 'Dancing on the Head of Serpent,' 'Sodom,' 'Time'; the lineage is long.

Well Entertainers & Soldiers apparently was going to be a new Jerusalem album, but instead it became a solo release. Using just his first name ULF has released a solid rock album. One will immediately hear the influence of U2 on many of the tracks. Not always as obvious as on prior releases, but the specter of Bono and company still looms large.

Yet my favorite song doesn’t strike me as being U2 influenced, Kings & Spears has a great soothing chorus melody that reminds me of some of Phil Keaggys songs. It rocks but doesn’t shake the roof. “It’s Not Easy” opens the album in fine fashion, yet even tho the guitar is there it seems to go off into some pop explorations. ‘Rip my Heart Out,’ ‘Godspeed to You’ and ‘Die to Myself’ fall into a mix of rock with overly melodic choruses. There is a great mix of rock and well crafted pop sensibilities as well.

As strange as it is to say, there are many times that Ulf sounds like Phil Keaggy as far as vocal delivery. Smooth and melodious, is not always something that is associated with Ulf’s vocal style. Usually he brings a much harsher delivery but here his vocal really blends well with the material.

The production is clean, not over produced but it sounds right. Lyrically topics of self sacrifice, dying to self, Wisdom, and being the same on the inside as out are given the Ulf treatment. Always biblical, but done in a way that is tasteful and not clichéd.

Fans of Jerusalem should dig this release. It was originally released in 2003, but Retroactive took it on which will allow this album to see fresh light. Ulf has crafted a disc that is exceptional and memorable. He allows the songs to breathe and grow instead of just shoving them into some pre-made sleeve. Album oriented Rock it’s called, AOR, which moves the heart and soul with a message of perseverance and hope.

7 axes

MORTIFICATION - ENVISION EVANGELINE

Mortification is a band that it seems that most people love or hate. It seems that those who aren’t that fond of the band these days are stuck in Death Metal gloom or so it seems. The rationale usually follows that the bands best material were their first three discs because ‘they were heavy and brutal’ and nothing else since then has been ‘up to snuff.’ In the other camp are those, like myself, who love HEAVY METAL and realize not every song must be 1000mph with guttural barking.

Those distinctions are important because as I come to listen and review Mortifications 1996 Envision Evangeline it must be noted that this IS NOT a death metal album. Quite simply this release brings the best heavy metal elements into one package. Power metal, Groove Metal and elements of Progressive and Thrash metal make this one superb piece of metal work.

Opening with the very Iron Maidenesqe and, in my opinion, early Rush like title song. ‘Envision Evangeline’ runs eighteen minutes with multiple movements. Reminiscent of a classic Maiden epic or early Rush prog adventures, this song tells the story of the Last Supper and Crucifixion, Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Intelligent lyric writing complements the strong metal atmospherics of the music. ‘Envision Evangeline’ is a powerful song that shares a powerful story.

Immediate standouts from the other seven songs are pretty obvious “Northern Storm” with its groove inspired riff is simply crushing. As a matter of fact I have to be careful not to get the pit going here as I listen (My wife hates that!). “Noah was a Knower” is another obvious bit of musical intensity that also contains some great lyric writing. Steve showing a rather dry bit of humor with the line “100 of real hard work/Noah sat down and had a Coffee!” Hits my funny bone every time.


“Peace in the Galaxy” brings another groove inspired riff that just rocks. Lincoln Bowen offers some rather tasty lead playing here. A solid tempo change breaks the groove then it breaks back down into a rather slower paced section with more Bowen guitar chops ala Maiden. “Jehovah Nissi” also brings a groove inspired riff which just screams. “Crusade for the King” and “Chapel of Hope” provide more solid metal support.

‘Buried into Obscurity’ is the only real barn burner here, pure grind, great riffs and solid playing. The Metal Mind reissue I’ve obtained also includes 4 live tracks and fantastic 16 page booklet with a rather lengthy talk of Mort’s past and a retrospective; however it doesn’t specify who wrote it. The live material I would guess was pulled from one of Mortifications DVD releases but that is only a guess as the notes don’t specify.

The Metal Mind reissues are on gold discs for better sound reproduction and are limited to 2000 pressed. Mine is number 645. All brothers of the metal fraternity should be picking this one up. However if you’re one of the haters who think every Mort album must be Scrolls part two just pass on this so we won’t have to hear your complaining. This album is a classic in its own right. Yes I did say classic. I love it.

10 axes

My Silent Wake & The Drowning - Black Light and Silent Roads

The elements of doomy goodness are presented here for our mutual edification. This split album of My Silent Wake and The Drowning presented by Retroactive/Bombworks records is an amalgam of the ethereal and the material. Black Lights & Silent Roads is the title of this rather heavy piece of musical fancy.

What we have is four songs by each group entity that sound like being lost in the forest on a dark and dreary night. No lights no moon no path before you but perhaps a steep cliff. Waiting for a coachman to rescue you and carry you to a nearby castle but none are in sight.

Not having heard either group before I must admit that my fondness for the My Silent Wake material is more embedded as opposed to The Drowning. However both groups have a penchant for composing moody and haunting melodies with enough dynamics to make one truly wonder if someone is looking over their shoulder. I would not advise listening to this material alone as it just seems to settle into a rather melancholy place and keeps the listener there.

Powerful guitars highlight my favorite songs; My Silent Wake’s “Bleak Endless Winter” sounds just like the title indicates. Bleak indeed, but enough authority in the guitar department to make you take notice; as the guitars complement the strength of Ian’s vocal. Magnificent. It would completely improper to not mention the twenty two minute epic ‘Rebirth.’

This falls into the category of epic, My Silent Wake have produced one long bit of whimsy that moves and sways like a stormy winter evening with the rain and wind to make you wonder if the power should fail what would you do. ‘Rebirth’ moves slowly building with different percussion and sounds that bring this creative effort to an emotional peak. Vocally ranging from extreme to the melancholic. If the name My Silent Wake is to make reference to the dying inside that we all live through daily, then it stands to reason that their songs are an outward expression of the pain and grief we often hold within.

The Drowning bring their own style of melancholy to the forefront, reminiscent of a funeral procession among horse drawn carriages. The long walk to the graveyard never had quite the accompaniment that The Drowning brings. Slow and heavy, more emphasis on the HEAVY part I believe. The songs are good, however I find my imagination returning to the My Silent Wake material. “Silent Epiphany” is my favorite performance from this side of the disc.

It might be because this is the most upbeat song on the album I’m not sure. Extreme vocals pretty much dominate The Drowning performances but that is their style. At times it doesn’t make room for the mellower dynamics that might add more punch to their songs.

So you might ask what does Black Lights & silent roads sound like really. The production is solid and deep. To describe the style of say My Silent Wake the band says this.

“Doom/death metal with Goth, mediaeval, folk, black, progressive and experimental elements. Our music generally appeals to fans of My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, Agalloch, Katatonia, Anathema etc...Make up your own mind.” MSW MySpace.

The members of The Drowning had this to say….

"The Drowning are not just a general Metal based band, with the members all having there own influences, the bands inspiration has come from the darker ambient side of music with the likes of the above bands influence being heard in many of the The Drowning's songs.

The band have also incorporated the use of acoustic guitars and keyboard effects to create the darker edged atmosphere in most of The Drowning's tracks... which makes them hard to compare with bands from the same genre.

The heavier side of The Drowning comes from many of the Dark, Death, Black Metal band genres past and present which have a strong influence on many of the band members.” The Drowning MySpace.

This album is like the In Grief album I reviewed sometime ago. There’s enough on the surface to keep you interested but as you continue to listen the depth and insight of the recording makes itself known. These metal composers have put together a tapestry of fine euphonic thought that is not the norm. If melancholy is your thing than obtain Black Lights & Silent Roads quickly as this might be one of those gems that gets lost in the shuffle.

7 axes

DEMON HUNTER - THE WORLD IS A THORN

Demon Hunter has unleashed another platter of metal mayhem upon the world. Entitled The World is a Thorn this is the Hunters fifth studio release. It contains just what you’d expect from the Demon Hunter crew, intense vocalizations with melodic harmonies, strong guitar riffs with pounding drums and bass.

Opening with a strong composition, in ‘Descending upon Us,’ that has some strong riffing and a very good chorus. I felt primed to hear some new intense Demon Hunter sounds. Yet after a rather odd short composition with ‘Lifewar’ the disc moves into its first blatant single in ‘Collapsing.’ I must admit at first hearing what sounded like a sequenced guitar or keyboard part my excitement dropped the first time. The song has a good melody and hard moments but it felt to me like such a blatant attempt to get radio play.

‘This is the Line’ moves the aggression meter up a few notches again with strong guitars and intense vocals. Yet when ‘Driving the Nails’ comes on it again felt to me like a blatant pandering to get radio play. Complete with a string arrangement; the melody is haunting and effective however ‘Heartstrings Come Undone’ from Summer of Darkness is still the quintessential Demon Hunter ballad. Any attempt to copy that previous blueprint is just not going to work.

The brutality comes back with the title track ‘The World is a Thorn’ is heavy fast and strong. The song is very reminiscent of the title track on their last album Storm the Gates of Hell. Is a formula here being developed? ‘Tie this Around Your Neck’ & ‘Just Breathe,’ ‘Shallow Water,’ and ‘Feel as tho You Could’ all slip into a more classic Demon Hunter sound of strong powerful modern metal. Harsh vocals, loud guitars and up tempo songs rule this back part of the disc. Why weren’t the songs ordered differently I wonder? That might’ve given the disc a harder feel.

Album closer ‘Blood in the Tears’ is yet again a ballad; A bit of melodic whimsy with a similar feel as ‘Driving the Nails’ minus the strings but perhaps a more genuine feel.

I’ve liked Demon Hunter since I first saw the video for ‘Infected’ on MTV2’s Headbangers Ball. At the time I couldn’t believe I was seeing a Christian band playing this style of tunes this well. That was 2003 and Demon Hunter has continued to grow and improve with each disc. However since The Triptych it just seems to me that their producers have continued to mold them into something that they weren’t originally. Slick and polished with a perfect sound. There’s nothing wrong with that but it almost feels like all the emotion is stripped out of the performance.

I think The World is a Thorn is a good Demon Hunter album. If the songs were in a different order it would be much heavier in feel. Yet the way it’s arranged it feels like a slickly produced modern metal album which aims for perfection with studio tricks and high tech production. That’s not all bad but it just feels like I’ve heard this before.

6 axes