Reviewed by George Luke

Here it is at last - Britain's first Christian rap album. Since '91's "Revolution" EP, HOG are now down to two members, with Nick "Riff" Mawby co-writing and making a guest appearance. Very sensibly, the guys have gone for a British feel, rather than try to ape Americans, and the way they achieve this is at times quite humorous, like sampling the Small Faces or the friendly voice welcoming us at the start of side 1. In the track "Dream Sequence", they build up the violent gangster image heard in a million rap records, only to tear it down by admitting that in their case it isn't real. In reality, their idea of a 'drive by' is a takeaway burger and the only guns they have fire staples. On the other hand, the scene they describe in "My Home Town" indicates that the dream sequence could become reality pretty soon. "Stormy Weather" offers good advice to red blooded males, although their description of teenage lust might offend some listeners. On the lighter side, there's their ode to their favourite food, "Fig Roles". To borrow a line from Spinal Tap, the tape sounds like it was recorded "in Dobbly". That aside, it's a splendid debut. So when's the tour, then?

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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