Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

In 1981 an independent American rock band took their evangelistic classic rock songs into the studio and recorded their debut album. It was a local success but the band always felt they failed to capture the passion and intensity of their live set on vinyl and when the band ran out of steam without ever following it up, the master tapes sat on the shelf alongside the unreleased second album. In 1999 band guitarist Mike Manthei (now running his own studio) cleaned up the masters and the band got back together for further sessions to capture again the essence of Anthem to remix and re-record and make the fabulous rock album they'd originally conceived. This is brilliant American rock with twin guitars shining, bordering between solid '70s riffs and the emerging flashy '80s sound. On top of the general melodic heaviness, there are the stunning powerful vocals of Mary Pinkley delivering uncompromising lyrics. Check out something like "Doctor" for her versatility. Highlights include the powerful opening instrumental "Spiritual Warfare" and the brilliant "On Your Knees" which immediately follows it. Then there's the upbeat confident riff rock of "Winners" which chugs along on a funky bass line and the brisk "Cheap Thrill". Anthem were never really heard in the UK, I wish I'd discovered them back then because with quality like this, they would have fitted neatly between Petra and Resurrection Band.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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