Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

'Armageddon Love' is a concept album which immediately grabs my attention for two reasons. Firstly, the concept itself is an intriguing one since it reflects one man's journey of discovering faith within the context of living in the final days. That means that while "Can You Tell Me?" questions, "The Best News" answers some of those questions with a Gospel message. The bulk of the album's songs address Christian issues like the need for the Church to be a loving community ("Love One Another"); escaping from disappointment ("Forget About Yesterday") and of course worship ("Psalm 2000"). The context of the coming of Christ and the Armageddon of the title is covered in "Get Ready For The Lord" and the powerful blues rock of "Matthew 24" which lyrically sounds like an update of Larry Norman's "I Wish We'd All Been Ready". Musically this is interesting because it's a hybrid of melodic rock and blues with a few rootsy things thrown in. Frankie Leyland is based in Merseyside but The Jammer aren't an ordinary band. The production process itself is fascinating because the band are spread across the globe and this has all been recorded over the internet. The subsequent sound made by these virtual virtuosos has an added spacey feel due to the unique recording process. Age old message, good old rock'n'blues, cutting edge technology.

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