Reviewed by Andy Shaw

Zahna is the name under which former ILIA frontwoman Suzy Martinez is now recording. 'Red For War' is released through a new Christian rock label, Rockfest Records, founded in 2018 by the Seventh Day Slumber frontman Joseph Riojas. This is a record of two halves and comes across as though careful thought has been put into how the album as a whole fits together. Each half opens with the most brutal, heavy metal influenced tracks ("Unshaken" and "Drown") with the screaming intros, high speed drum beats and brutal guitar riffs. In contrast, each half closes with a bit of a leftfield track. The first half ends by veering towards EDM ("With You") with strings, drum machine beats, a throbbing synth sound and processed vocals. The second half ends with a power-ballad feel through piano, strings and layers of synths building up through the track. In between there are elements of the symphonic with the use of synths and strings to add depth to the sound and the power of the sound is complimented perfectly by the vocals. The one strand that is carried throughout every track on this record is passion. Zahna appears equally comfortable with scream and clean vocals and the power and passion in her voice comes through whether it is a full on assault on the ears or more refrained and reflective. This is a very strong start for an artist who clearly has a talent for producing passionate, hard hitting proclamations of spiritual truth, and I'm sure we will be hearing much more.

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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