Hanover Saints - Blood, Guts & Glory

Tuesday 1st March 2005
Hanover Saints - Blood, Guts & Glory
Hanover Saints - Blood, Guts & Glory

STYLE: Hard Music
RATING 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 10643-9905
LABEL: Strikefirst STR007
FORMAT: CD Mini-album

Reviewed by Paul Woodward

America's Hanover Saints follow up their debut with an exciting modern punk seven-song mini-album, hard enough to be satisfying for alternative rock fans, but tuneful enough not to isolate a wider audience. The lyrics are intelligent and cover a range of themes ranging from politics ("New War Same War" and "Brainwashed Youth") to relationships ("Let The Dogs Bark"). The songs, whilst rather angst ridden, ultimately have a positive Christian undertone. An example being the final track "Headshot", which lists the hostility and jealously of the world but ultimately has a message of hope ("It's not too late to change the errors of our ways/ It's not too late we've come too far to watch it dissolve/Gotta stick together united as one/To pull the knives from our backs and carry on".) The band might have been a bit more forthright with their spiritual message however. There is no mention of Christ, God or any quotes of Scripture in the songs. Presumably the band's aim is to be accepted within the mainstream punk community, aligning themselves with such bands as Rancid and Sick Of It All. So how come they're recording for a Christian record label?

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.

Be the first to comment on this article

We welcome your opinions but libellous and abusive comments are not allowed.












We are committed to protecting your privacy. By clicking 'Send comment' you consent to Cross Rhythms storing and processing your personal data. For more information about how we care for your data please see our privacy policy.