Various Artists
Title: Metal For Jesus
Having never listened to a White Metal band in my life, not even Stryper, I was a bit unsure about reviewing this album. As a young teenager I had religion forced down my throat by a relative who had found god, I was told that I was a Satanist, and evil for listening to Twisted Sister, Black Sabbath Iron Maiden etc.. Being brought up and living through the ridiculous Tipper Gore PMRC debacle, this was not one review or listening experience I was looking forward to the least. Now what I will say is this album has some amazing riffs, metal licks and catchy songs.
It’s just the message being conveyed almost continuously, for me, it gets irritating after a while if am honest.
Reading from the album info, Johannes Jonsson is the driving force behind this release along with Christian Liljegren. The 'Metal for Jesus' album is a musical tract with songs picked especially for their lyrical content .
The album is seventeen tracks full of melodic, European power metal and starts off with four tracks from Narnia who hail from Jönköping, Sweden and are a progressive power metal band. They open the album with 'Power of the Blood Red Cross' this is the strongest track, I feel. It opens with some chugging guitars and shreds, the lyrics are really good and effective and would not be out of place on any power metal bands work, Christian or not.
Searing solos to please the masses on this opener. 'Living Water' is a competent track but not for me I am afraid, no doubt white metal fans will lap this up, the final track from Narnia has a Led Zeppelin feel to it and is a good tune as well, wasn’t too keen on the second track, but other's may love it. Narnia are a band I would listen to again and will keep my eye out for in the future.
Next we have Audiovision who have two tracks on here the first is a Stryper cover called 'The Way' is a rocking, knocking over fonts sort of a tune! So this is a Stryper song and you know what this kicks the Devils arse outta the door! Very impressed with this song and the vocals from Christian Liljegren are peeling the wallpaper, the next offering from Audiovision 'We Will Go' will have people dancing in the aisles and punching the air to heaven.
There are five tracks interspersed by Divinefire the first machine gunning with excellent musicianship on all tracks, stand out for me is 'Open Your Eyes' purely for the musical arrangements, about the lyrics?, well you can judge for yourself. Golden Resurrection are very impressive and have six songs of uplifting tunes on here, I can see why this band are so popular among the white metal fraternity, again the music is astounding, the lyrics will appealing to those of a Christian faith without a doubt. To a non-believer not so much.
Now I class myself as a Christian but not a practising one. So for those fans of this thing we call heavy metal / hard rock who are steered to the white side of metal, well they should love this album, but if you side with the devilish and naughty pure heavy metal like myself, it will probably not appeal really.
But please don’t get me wrong there’s some stupendously shredding guitar riffs, excellent vocals etc., I think you should try and listen to the album and be open minded, but if like me your views on religion have been tainted, try and appreciate the musicianship and not the..." hallelujah, Jesus saves" ... lyrics.
Finally from the 'Metal for Jesus' website Johannes wrote this, .. “Lots of prayers have been going into this album to make sure that the right tracks were chosen and right comments written so that it should be everything God wanted it to be. We want Jesus to be glorified and we dedicate this album to Him! Focus on the album is totally on God and what Christian faith is all about. Booklet contains salvation prayer and comments by me where I explain the lyrics and talk about God's mercy, why Jesus is the only way to God, second coming of Jesus, prayer and how to get to know Jesus and overall what true Christian faith is all about.”
Review by: Seb Di Gatto
Tracklisting:
1. People Of The Blood Red Cross (Narnia)
2. Living Water (Narnia)
3. Long Live The King (Narnia)
4. The Way (Audiovision)
5. The Way - We Will Go (Audiovision)
6. Divinefire (Divinefire)
7. Live My Life For You (Divinefire)
8. Proud To Wear The Holy Cross (Golden Resurrection)
9. Down On My Knees (Modest Attraction)
10. The Final Day (Golden Resurrection)
11. God's Mercy (Golden Resurrection)
12. Never Surrender (Golden Resurrection)
13. Flaming Youth (Golden Resurrection)
14. Golden Resurrection (Golden Resurrection)
15. Open Your Eyes (Divinfire)
16. Bright Morning Star (Divinefire)
17. The Way To Eternity (Divinefire
