Reviewed by Rod Lobaugh

It takes about 10 seconds of listening to this debut to know what musical slant One 21 is edging toward: pure punk. Old school punk with a power punch to be more exact. One 21 take a bold stance upon their punk and biblical foundations to bring forth a powerful showing of the active gospel. On the musical level, One 21 blast their way through in The Year King Uzziah Died' with all the explosive energy of a Scud missile. With a touch of melody, One 21 bop and yell all over their seven punker rants at a rather quick pace. So quick that the whole EP barely clocks in over 17 minutes. On a couple of the songs, they make use of a nifty bass intro, adding some variety into the mix. One 21 also feature loads of New York-style gang vocals. The song "Johnny" also plunges a bit deeper into the heart of lead singer Ken Klein. Klein presents a sad story and a heartfelt plea for a brother who has fallen away from his faith to return to the life he left behind: "Compromised his beliefs for some sex/Trade it all in for what's cool next/Consumed by the crowd/Now he's on his own/Johnny come home/Johnny please come home." One 21 's 'In The Year King Uzziah Died' showcases this band's energy as well as their punk sensibilities. For the people bemoaning the limited Christian content in other punk bands, One 21 provides only pure delight. One the other hand. One 21's direct message may receive a backlash from those who are tired of the many criticisms against the Christian-influenced punk world. What One 21 deserve is an audience that will cast aside their preconceived ideas and give this EP an attentive ear.

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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