Reviewed by Peter John Willoughby

The mark of an album is whether it stands up to the test of time. This was released in 2000 and it still sounds good today. Prog rock is currently a bit of a niche market, but that hasn't stopped America Gomorrah's frontman Gene Crout, together with Ajalon's Randy George, from releasing three Christian Progressive Rock (CPR) compilations since then. Here Gene contributes guitar, vocals and programming, with Bob Waldman on bass and Carl Busser on drums. It has a progressive hard rock sound with classic rock leanings. The nearest comparison that springs to mind is Blue Oyster Cult as there are some obvious '70s influences. The best feature is the driving rock songs with the keyboards kept firmly in the background. It ends with a 13-minute opus, which means the whole album clocks in at just a whisker less than one hour. As Gene reflects "I am very satisfied, even considering that the recording is approaching 10 years old and it was the first full scale album production project I had ever done. Clearly, I am much more experienced and skilled as an engineer and producer now than I was then, having recorded, mixed and mastered a myriad of projects in my studio Audio Digital since 2000. I might say that I wished the guitars were a little more dry and in your face. I might say that I would perhaps put a bit less reverb on the snare. But the album was a 'slice in time.' And for that time, the album was the best it could be". Gene is actually working on a follow-up album. On the strength of this, it should be worth waiting for.

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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