Reviewed by Ewan Jones

One of the first noticeable things when listening to 'As Sure As The Stars' is that there is an increased confidence in Tre Sheppard's songwriting. On the band's latest album he expands his repertoire from straight up rock worship to include more moments of personal reflection and introspection, as well as comments on justice issues, Western apathy to third world poverty, and narrative or character-based songs. Now a six-piece band, I was expecting a bit more noise, however the tracks on this CD have been very heavily produced, and they don't seem to capture the volume and energy of the band's live act. Onehundredhours' earlier releases had a raw quality to them that lent a unique edge to their songs - the bass growled, Tre's guitars squealed and his voice was full-throated. 'As Sure As The Stars' is the sound of a band who have matured in vision and scope, but while the softer sound may help them appeal to a wider audience, the lack of a hard edge was a shame for this reviewer's ears. Having said that, there's a fine balance of styles to please both rockers and those looking for something a bit more mellow. Be in no doubt that this slick release deserves to (and will) fly off the shelves, bringing the Hours their most commercially successful release to date.

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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