Reviewed by Paul S Ganney

Opening with a punked up version of "Amazing Grace" by Living Fire ftg JohnnyBoy and followed up by "Blessed Assurance" by False Idle you quickly get the idea - a load of classic hymns done in a punk style - all played with the kind of energy, enthusiasm and tempo that I'd have loved when I first went to church at 17. It reminded me a lot of the classic 'We Do It Our Way' compilation of punked pop songs from the late '70s -some work so well you wonder whether the speed and phrasing was what the original author had in mind (eg, "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" by Quick And The Dead). Not all are in English (eg, Onyx8's "Porque Ele Vive (Because He Lives)") but that doesn't at all detract from the enjoyment through the sheer energy and enthusiasm of these bands. There's a good range of punk styles on display too, mostly Ramones-tempo stuff, some nice riffing, Damned-style sneering, brief guitar solos (The Bricks' "Standing On The Promises"), chug-alongs and the more-metal-really of UntilWeDie's "It Is Well". Some of them don't quite work and nearly nine minutes seems a bit long for a punk track (Timoratus' "Leave It There" - probably more an atmospheric/industrial track than punk as we now know it). But overall this is a successful and daring approach to the hymns of yesteryear.

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