Reviewed by Paul Keeble

A five song cassette from a band with the classic rock lineup of guitar/bass/drums. The opener "You" with wah guitar, busy drumming and halftime section is reminiscent of 60s megagroup Cream of all things". I loved the spoken bit at the end. "Abomination" and "Change" are in similar vein, "Mind" has a more contemporary feel. (The last track "Forever" is totally different - just voice and acoustic guitar; pleasant but doesn't really fit here.) The playing is tight, there are some good riffs, the feel captured on tape (always tricky) is good despite some iffy mixing (though I do applaud the restraint employed in use of bite-removing reverb and compression - an affliction of too much Christian output). The only non-rock'n'roll element is lain Cook's vocals which are soft, almost folky and occasionally deviate from pitch in a way that reminds me of Morrissey. This contrast from tonsil-tearing sandpaper and gravel normality actually adds character and distinctiveness to the sound - maintain it! More work on honing the lyrics wouldn't go amiss, but all in all, very promising.

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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