KEVIN PIKE "Heavenly Realms"

 

(c) 2023 Roxx Records

1. Atomic Dragon
2. Heavenly Realms
3. The Landing
4. Future World
5. Beyond The Valley
6. Ode To The King
7. G.P.S.
8. Orion
9. The Journey Home

Kevin Pike--All Lead and Rhythm Guitars

Timothy Gaines--Bass

Arnaud Krakowka--Drums

It was not that long ago when Arsenal guitarist, Kevin Pike, unleashed his debut solo instrumental album, Guitar Graffiti, upon us.  Enlisting the aid of longtime Stryper bass player, Timothy Gaines, and drummer, Arnaud Krakowka, Pike delivered an EP of insane speed, technical virtuosity, and melodic textures that I had not encountered in quite some time.  As a huge fan of the old Shrapnel Records shred albums, it was a pleasant surprise, to say the least, to hear a player weave the type of musical magic that Pike did on that first all-too-short effort.  Now, less than 18 months later, Pike has returned to blaze his way into your soul once again with his new full-length release, Heavenly Realms.

Picking up right where he left off, Pike sets out immediately to lead you on a musical voyage filled with twists and turns as he varies speeds, sounds, techniques, and styles.  Once again completely devoid of vocals, Pike's guitars get to do all the singing on the album, and there is plenty these songs have to say!

"Atomic Dragon" kicks things off in magnificent fashion, as it is a spectacular opener that really sets the tone for the adventure that unfolds here.  Melodic flourishes burst from the strings, conjuring up images of bursts of flame erupting from the scaled beast, as it takes flight, charging along the path charted by the extended solo Pike lays out here.  Swift and powerful, the dragon charges forth, his roar erupting from the talk box Pike employs at about the 2:40 mark of the track, only to turn and frantically fly away as the track closes.  

The title track, "Heavenly Realms," is up next, with its bold, anthemic delivery that at times evokes early Shrapnel-era Marty Friedman, especially in the note-density on display during the tracks frenzied solo!  A flurry of notes just screams from the frets before suddenly backing off, allowing a more laid back, melodic style to interject itself before returning to the opening riff and pattern of the track.  Excellent stuff that fuses speed metal with some jazz influences near the middle.

"The Landing" is one of my favorites here, despite it's brevity (just a hair over 2 minutes on the clock).  This is exactly the type of track that frequently served as a mood changer on older shred albums, as it is just Pike and his guitar...no drums or bass to build upon.  Pike's skills are on full display here as he weaves his way through this composition with insane fluidity and dexterity.

As I mentioned, "The Landing" serves as a mood changer here, as it sets the stage for "Future World," a bold track that serves two masters at the same time for me, as Pike sets the song up with incredibly intricate acoustic Spanish guitar (which I have admitted I am a sucker for!), only to plug in, and then rip into some fantastically clean and precise fret runs that both scream and soar.  Featured on the Roxx compilation Preachers Of The Underground Vol. 2, "Future World" is a great track on which to explore two starkly different sides of Pike's playing melded together perfectly.

"Beyond The Valley" is another of my favorites, as the entire track is comprised of the intricate acoustic Spanish guitar that "Future World" teases in its intro.  I could listen to an entire album of Pike performing this type of music, as he has a real feel for the complex patterns that are woven into the acoustic tapestry of this type of playing.  No fretboard squeaks or squawks can be found in this cleanly performed piece that evokes memories of a time, and musical style, that has largely passed.  I always find myself in awe of players who can work in this style with such nimble dexterity and speed, while still managing to remain clear in tone and clean in presentation.  Breathtakingly brilliant, "Beyond the Valley" is a perfect example of deceptively difficult style to play which is made to sound simplistic by a player of Pike's talent.

"Ode To The King" keeps things amplified throughout, and while speedy in all the right places, it is a very smooth, very majestic sounding song, not a frantic headbanger.  The same can be said for it's follow-up, the fun "G.P.S." which maps a seemingly simplistic musical course with its basic line, only to take you off the beaten path with several rapid-fire fret runs and an extended solo that seems to take you on a musical road that is nowhere near the chart you had originally plotted.  And just like an off-road trip you didn't plan to take, you don't know quite how you ended up on the road you traveled, but you absolutely enjoyed the crazy ride!

"Orion" is another short musical interlude of just Pike and his guitar, with him once again leaning on the acoustic, Spanish style that he obviously enjoys playing.  The shortest track here, "Orion" is a beautiful transition piece that sets up the final, full-powered run of "The Journey Home," another speedy, yet surprisingly smooth, melodic fret melter that shifts tempos a couple of times, drops a false ending on you at about the 1:45 mark, and has a big crescendo build leading into the final extended solo that runs the track to its fade out, setting the stage for the album to wrap around and replay itself, almost without missing a beat.

Gaines' and Krakowka provide a solid backbone structure for Pike to assemble these songs upon, with both seemingly aware of their role here.  That being said, it is not that either is restrained in any manner in their performances, rather it is understood that the guitars here are the driving force and are given the full opportunity to shine front and center. 

Every bit the musical equal to Guitar Graffiti, Heavenly Realms is jam packed with musical skill and impassioned playing that simply isn't heard often enough in the rock and metal world today.  Again, instrumental music may not be what everyone turns to on a regular basis, but when it is performed at this level, with this amount of emotion poured into playing, as well as the structure and composition, it is a style that is well worth giving a listen.  Kudos to Roxx Records for giving a talent such as Kevin Pike's a canvas on which to display his sonic art.  Speaking of art, check out the fantastic cover work provided by Rafael Tavares Gripp, which I feel could also fit the "Future World" concept, as well as the Heavenly Realms name.  

Rating:  Definitely crankable, and a step above it's predecessor.  Turn this one up to an 8.5!  

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LIVIN' OUT LOUD with RICH and GEORGE FAVAZZA of MERCY RULE

 

In 1989, a group of four Detroit area boys known as Mercy Rule released their first...and only...album, Overruled.  Thirty-four years later, our friends at Roxx Records gave long-time fans, and newcomers to the band, a chance to own a long out-of-print and VERY hard to find CD.  I took this chance to catch up with two of the members of the band, brothers George and Rich Favazza, who respectively played guitar and drums for the band, to find out a bit about the band's history, their experiences as Mercy Rule, and what they are up to today.

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PRR:  Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to talk to me.  First, congrats are in order following the reissue of Overruled.  As someone who bought the album when it first came out, this has been a long time coming!

George:  Thanks, Arttie.  Yes, it has been a while, for sure.

PRR:  Were you at all surprised by the response to the new package, which has been largely very positive from what I've seen and heard?

George:  Yeah, I was a little surprised by the response because the album wasn't remixed, it was just remastered.  But, I will say the clarity is 100% better.

PRR:  I agree; the sound is much improved.  So, let's talk a bit about Mercy Rule's origins and how we got to the point of this reissue.  Where were you guys located or based out of?

George:  We all grew up in Wayne, a suburb of Detroit, with the exception of Bruce (bass player and keyboardist), who grew up in Canton, which is a nearby city and also a suburb of Detroit.  Our Dad was a musician who played mostly in wedding bands.  He played saxophone and clarinet, and he had a great singing voice.  So, all of us kids were all musical.  We started a band with some neighborhood friends back when I was in middle school and my brothers were in high school.  We met Aaron (lead vocalist and guitar player), who was in another band, and eventually we all just joined up into a single band.  Through a series of member changes, we finally became Black Ace (laughter).  We eventually met Bruce, who was dating my sister at the time, and it was actually Bruce who introduced us to Christianity.  To make a long story short, we all eventually became Christians and decided to make a Christian band.  Originally, we were just a typical Christian rock band, calling ourselves Aziz, but eventually we became a metal band.  Our brother, John, who played bass and wrote a lot of the lyrics, quit the band and we threw Bruce, who had been playing exclusively keyboards, on bass, and that's really when we became Mercy Rule.

Rich:  Our band really formed in 1982 when I was 17...

George:  Yeah, and I would have been 16...

PRR:  Did you consider yourselves to be a Christian band, or a band with Christians in it?  Was evangelism your first mission as a band?

George:  We were definitely a Christian band, and yes, evangelism was our mission.

PRR:  Had you been exposed to the idea of Christian hard rock or metal previously, or were you kind of finding your own way?

George:  Well, we always had hard rock influences and really liked Rez band a lot.  Aaron started going more in that direction with his writing as new bands came about, such as Daniel Band and Stryper.  Stryper really paved the way for us.

PRR:  Was there any kind of Christian "scene" in the Detroit area?

George:  There were a lot of Christian coffee houses and stuff that we could play.  Those shows weren't greatly attended 'til we started making our mark a bit.

PRR:  Did you play much in churches and youth groups, or did you mostly try to play in the general music scene?

George:  We started mostly in churches, but as the band got more evangelical, we played a lot of bars and all ages shows.

PRR:  How was your message received?  Did you receive much in the way of pushback from the management of the bars and clubs, telling you to tone your message down, or anything?  Anything negative from the patrons of the clubs?

George:  I feel it was received well at most places.  I never really remember any management telling us to tone it down, but we also never really shoved the Gospel down their throats.  We always gave more of how God changed our lives and how He could do the same for them.  And we always gave an invitation to talk to the band after our show if they wanted to ask questions about our faith or how to ask Jesus into their hearts.  I always felt we were well received.

PRR:  Did you ever get to open for any big names?  How did they treat you?

George:  We opened for Bloodgood, Barren Cross, Sacred Warrior, Rez Band, Vengeance Rising, Guardian, Xalt...and believe it or not, the Imperials. (Laughter). Every band we worked with was supportive.  It was really an awesome time.

PRR:  Did you ever consider taking the band out to LA to try to make a go of the metal scene that was blowing up so big at the time?  Or maybe the smaller, but still active New York/New Jersey scene?

George:  No, we really didn't think about that.  We were happy with the music scene here in Detroit.  We did do a few very small tours, though...one to Minnesota, and one to Nashville.

PRR:  You did manage to get your song "Cities Are Burning" on the Underground Metal compilation in, I believe it was, 1988.  How did that come about?  Was it an open call for band
submissions, were you "scouted"...how did that come about?

George:  You know, I have been asked this question many times, and I honestly can't remember. (Laughter). I think we were sending our demo to various record companies and it came from that somehow.  Rich?

Rich:  (Laughter). If I had anything I'd throw it in!  As of now, you're doing a great job, George.

PRR:  Did that Underground Metal compilation open some doors for you?  Is that what got R.E.X.'s attention, or had you sent them your demo, also?

George:  Yep, I believe that is what got Doug Mann's attention.  He wanted to make us the next Rage Of Angels. (Laughter). You see how that worked out! (Laughter). We were also working on putting the album out ourselves when R.E.X. contacted us and we went with them.  In the end, all they did was come up with the artwork and press the album. We did all the rest.  Unfortunately, we also had to turn down the New Band stage at the Cornerstone Festival that year because we got signed.

PRR:  That had to be a blow!  Cornerstone was the pinnacle back in the day!

George:  Oh yeah.  To be honest, now I wish that we would have declined the R.E.X. offer and played Cornerstone! (Laughter)

Rich:  I agree!  (Laughter). Honestly, though, I never knew about that, George.  Or maybe I did.  My memory is not what it used to be! (Laughter)

George:  Yeah, I remember how bummed I was that we couldn't play the stage because we got signed.  We always went to Cornerstone back then and it was a big deal.

PRR:  What was your relationship with R.E.X. like for the band?  Were they a help or more of a hinderance?

George:  Hinderance all the way, definitely.  We were very naive back then.  We thought they would put a great deal of money behind the album, promote it, you know.  But that didn't happen.  For example, we were never happy with the mix of the album, which wasn't necessarily R.E.X.'s fault, but they released it anyway.  What we should have done was go to a top notch studio with a good producer.  Honestly, the songs were really well put together and had great potential, we just needed a little more push.  On top of that, I think we saw one royalty statement ever.

PRR: Rich, thoughts?

Rich:  I'm sorry...I've got nothing.

George:  Rich is a man of some words, but he expresses it all on the drum kit!  (Laughter)

Rich:  It's all a blur, but it was an awesome time in life.  I was 23 when we signed to R.E.X.

George:  I was 22.

PRR:  You say you were naive.  Did you have any expectations of what the label would do for you?  Were promises made and not kept?

George:  We did have expectations, yes.  Mostly that they (R.E.X.) would stand behind us and promote us and the album.  I don't know what we expected that would look like.  There honestly wasn't a lot of communication.

PRR:  Did you have any interactions with any other bands on the label?

George:  No, not at all.  None.  There was talk of us doing something with Believer, but nothing ever came of it.

PRR:  Believer had really strong support and respect in the secular market, as well as in the Christian market.  That could have been huge for Mercy Rule...

George:  Yep, no doubt.

PRR:  Wow.  So...the album comes out in 1989, correct?  What was some of the initial reaction from fans that you can recall?

George:  Yeah, 1989.  I mean, our die hard fans liked it!  (Laughter). We got a lot of fan mail from around the world, that was super cool, but I think we were pretty disappointed because it didn't sell very well.  R.E.X. had an option for a second album and decided against it, ultimately breaking up the band.

Rich:  Yeah.  We were all married and started having kids at that point, and we weren't making any money to support ourselves...but we were putting in plenty of time!

PRR:  Did R.E.X. provide any production support or anything?  Or was the album pretty much your baby?  I ask because I have heard throughout the years that it was basically your demo with some new songs that R.E.X. just slapped their logo on and sold.

Rich:  You got that right...no support.

George:  Yep.  That's exactly it.  We did all the recording and had it produced by the guy who owned the studio.  And we paid for it all out of our own pockets.  All they did was the artwork and the pressing, like I mentioned.  That was it.

PRR:  Was there every any talk of a video or anything to help jump start things?

George:  Nope, not at all.  We did do a video of "Cities Are Burning" and "Cecilia", but those were us doing them.  In fact, "Cities..." was done before we were even on R.E.X.  

PRR:  I don't think I have ever seen those...

George:  Roxx just released them a couple of weeks ago.

(Editor's note:  You can find both videos at the bottom of this page.)

PRR:  I know you mentioned only getting to see the one royalty check previously; do you have any idea how many copies of Overruled were sold initially?

George:  Nope.  No idea.

PRR:  No idea?  That has to be...frustrating.  Is that a strong enough word? (Laughing)

George:  Irritating!  (Laughter)

Rich:  We maybe sold five grand...five thousand copies.  I don't know though.

George:  Seriously, we have no idea, whatsoever.  It was on vinyl, CD, and cassette...

PRR:  Well, I had the CD and cassette, so there's two!  And I have the reissue!

George:  I still have a couple of cassettes still in the shrink wrap.  And of course the new vinyl and CD...

Rich:  No matter, I always felt we were loved by our fans...

George:  Yes, I agree, Rich.  Oh, Aaron put us on Spotify and Apple Music, too, so there's that...

PRR:  Did you get some hometown love from radio?  Did you ever have your, "Hey!  That's us!" moment?

George:  I think it got played once or twice on Christian radio.  (Laughs). Never had the "that's us" moment, though.. (Laughter)

PRR:  Did you have the opportunity to get out and play in support of the album at all?

George:  Some, but not a lot.  We were really on our own. (Laughter)

PRR:  When you did play out, what kind of crowds were you drawing in the Detroit area?  Were you pretty well known?

George:  We had a lot of momentum going the last couple of years we were together. We started attracting pretty decent crowds and were getting some traction.  I would say we'd draw 100-200 people in small venues...and that was actually before R.E.X.

PRR:  How ironic that getting signed actually slammed the brakes on the band...

George:  Yeah...sad...

PRR:  So was there any preparation being made for a second album, either before or after R.E.X. decided not to pick up the second album option?

George:  Well, we were starting to write new material.  One called "Back To The Bone," which was a very cool song.  But, yeah, it ended pretty quick after they said they weren't interested in doing a second one.

PRR:  Shifting gears a bit, can you tell me a little bit about what it was like being siblings in a band?  I've read Lzzy Hale and her brother, Arejay, have grown closer, while the Gallagher brothers of Oasis no longer even speak...

George:  Me and Rich have always been close.  Nothing has changed there.  We still play together often at church, and our family loves getting together and playing music.  He's my favorite drummer, always...

Rich:  Always?  Shucks. (Laughs). Me and George have always gotten along good and can always read each other musically.

PRR:  And who's older, again?

George:  Rich! (Laughs). I'm the baby...

Rich:  Year and a half difference...

PRR:  Have you maintained contact with the other guys in Mercy Rule at all?

George:  Somewhat. (Laughs). More so since this remaster came out.  I've seen Bruce two times in the last month, and I text back and forth with Aaron lately.

Rich:  Yeah, I go 4-wheeling in the Spring every year with Aaron.  Sometimes he will come five hours one way to hang out with us.  I see Bruce here and there, too.  He came to my Guitar Center drum-off a couple of times...

PRR:  Speaking of the remaster project, how did the Roxx package come together?  Was it kind of out of the blue?

George:  Yeah, I believe someone messaged me, and then I directed them to Aaron because he did a lot of the writing and singing.  I did mostly backing vocals, although I did sing a few songs.

Rich:  It was definitely out of the blue for me...

PRR:   While the circumstances are different, how has it been working with Bill at Roxx?

Rich:  Bill has been very kind and supportive.

George:  Honestly, those guys have been great!  Very helpful and supportive.  It's been a very good experience.  They're a great company.  I have nothing but positive things to say about them.

PRR:  Have the creative juices started flowing again at all?  Ever think of "getting the band back togethe," maybe for something like Immortal Fest or something?

Rich:  I would love to do a reunion show!  I know George and Bruce would, too, but trying to get Aaron is kind of tough, as he lives five hours away.

George:  The thought has definitely crossed my mind, and I am going to start writing some material.  Aaron has his own thing going with recording projects, so he really didn't seem to have much interest, but you never know.  I'm gonna persuade him!

Rich:  And, he's busy with business...

George:  But Rich, Bruce, and I definitely want to do something.

PRR:  With the internet and technology the way it is, putting together an album is probably a lot easier than ever, I would imagine.

George:  Yea, and Aaron is super good at recording and mastering.

Rich:  He remixed "You Lied To Me", and it sounded awesome!

George:  This is another band he was in, and he did all the recording and mixing...

PRR:  After getting to hear the new package with the demo tracks on it, I have to ask, is your entire demo on this collection, and was Overruled basically just the demo with a few new tracks added, and viola?

George:  Well, "Cities Are Burning" wasn't on the R.E.X. album, just on the compilation album...

PRR:  That's my bad.  I meant the other three songs.  I'm a big demo collector, and but I have never come across yours before, so I wasn't sure if this was the entire demo or not, and how much was re-recorded for the Overruled release.

George:  Yes, it is the entire demo on the Roxx package, plus two different versions of "Cities Are Burning" with slightly different mixes.  I personally like the demo version of the song, not the version on Underground Metal.  The intro with the drums has a bit more reverb on the beginning full and that's what I like about it.

PRR:  I don't know why this just hit me, but since it's in both demo form and the album version, I'll just ask:  was there an actual Cecilia? (Laughs)

George:  No, just a made up character, basically.

PRR:  I always get in trouble with people for not asking, what gear you guys used to record the album.  People always seem interested in that stuff, even though it means nothing to me! (Laughs)

George:  You mean like guitars and amps?

Rich:  I played a Pearl World Series kit.  1987 kit with POWER TOMS! (Laughs)

George:  Mine was a Gibson Explorer with EMG 81s and Ampeg amps.  Also played through Peavey VTM 120 head and Sonic cabs...basically a Celestion Greenback.

Aaron played a Hamer guitar...not sure of the model, but it was pointy!  (Laughter). He still has it, by the way.

PRR:  Do you guys have any regrets looking back?  

George:  Just wish we could have done a second album.

Rich:  It was a hard break up.  Heck, it's what we wanted to do!  The Lord provided a different path for us, though.  I look at it like we have the best of both worlds.  We still play at church and different things.  We got to spend time with our families, too.

George:  True, Richie.  I love, love, love playing at church.

Rich:  Heck, with church, we have a show every week!  (Laughs). Plus, we're grandpas now!

George:  Yep!

PRR:  How about high points looking back?  Maybe a favorite show or a favorite venue?

George:  Oh, favorite venue was Free Spirits!  My favorite show was the Rez show.  Glenn (Kaiser) was so good to us, and so encouraging.  I also have a lot of memories playing with Barren Cross.

Rich:  Free Spirits Bar was really cool.  Good sound system, and we played with a lot of top metal bands there.  The Rez show was definitely cool.  Some of the pictures on the album are from the Rez show.

PRR:  Do you still hear from fans occasionally?  Especially now that many older bands are getting repackaging and reissuing deals?

George:  I do, yes.  Pretty cool to hear from them.

PRR:  Is there a Mercy Rule page somewhere that fans can keep in touch with you?

Mercy Rule fan art

Rich:  George, you got that page yet?  (Laughs)

George:  (Laughs). No,,,I keep saying I'm gonna make a Facebook page.  I just haven't gotten to it yet.  I
want to order some shirts and sell them on our page.  We have hundreds of pictures to put on there, and maybe some videos we could put up.  Definitely some cool facts and tidbits. (Laughs)

PRR:  Well, you guys were definitely a part of my teen years.  I went through a 2-3 year stretch where I listened to exclusively Christian music...and I still listen to probably 75% Christian hard rock and metal today...but Overruled was played a lot by me.  So this has been cool and fun for me!

Rich:  Thank you, Arttie!

George:  That's pretty darn cool.  Thanks for taking the time to talk with us!  We appreciate you!

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So, there you have it, readers!  Thanks to George and Rich for taking the time to talk with me!  If you haven't had the chance to check out the remastered and repackaged Overruled yet, I encourage you to snag on from Roxx Records before they are gone!  And, as promised earlier, here are the two new Mercy Rule videos, released by Roxx Productions just for this special package!

"Cities Are Burning"

"Cecilia"

Back to Livin' Out Loud

BLESSED BY A BROKEN HEART return with new single, "Shots Fired"

 

(c) 2023 Century Media

Tony Gambino--Vocals

Shred Sean--Guitars

Don Vedda--Guitars, Backing Vocals

Tyler Hoare--Bass

Ian "Slater" Evans--Keys, Drums

It has been quite some time since neo-speed glamsters Blessed By A Broken Heart released "Another Day, Another War" in 2020, and that is the only new music we have heard from these awesome Canadians since 2012's Feel The Power album.  So, this new track makes exactly TWO songs released in more than a decade!  Talk about time to get going again!

With the band re-signed to Century Media, which was their home clear back in 2008, long-time lead vocalist, Tony Gambino, returns to the microphone, and with his familiar snarl in place, the band sounds like they never left despite a new member and some instrumental changes.  This time around, the band introduces new guitarist and backing singer, Don Vedda, with Slater moving back to keys and out from behind the drum kit (although, I believe he did record drums for this track).  

On the track, things open up with the sound of electric guitars being plugged in and turned on, before a rapid fire burst of snare drum launches the band full-speed into this fun headbanger that is a flat-out warning to the posers who have laid claim to BBABH's title (what that title is, I'm not entirely sure, but I'm guessing it's "Most Fun Metal Band Alive").  "Copy and paste all you want, but when push comes to shove, you'll never be quite like us" sneers Gambino on the pre-chorus lead-up to the first run through the chorus, which is pure fun as he challenges:  "Forget the fakes and cheap imitations, We'll take the stage and recover the throne!"

Musically, the band remains extremely tight, which has long been a trademark of BBABH's sound.  There is some insanely fast drum work going on after the second run through the chorus, and we are treated to a pretty intense breakdown section with some harsher core vocals.  Headbangers, fear not, as there is an absolutely ripping solo section following this breakdown with what sounds like a tradeoff between Shred and newcomer Vedda.  Another run through the chorus, a few more blistering fret runs, and the band closes out things with a partial chorus of "We'll take the stage and...RECOVER THE THRONE!"

Now, THAT is how you tease a return!

For fans who have been in love with these guys since 2008's Pedal To The Medal, which features such killer cuts as "She Wolf", "Move Your Body" and To Be Young", or personal favorite Feel The Power from 2011, with the excellent "Deathwish" and "Shut Up and Rock!", you are likely to love where BBABH is at now, and where they seem to be headed.  If you go even further back to the band's 2005 debut album, the decidedly death metal-inspired All's Fair In Love And War, you are not going to find what you are looking for, at least with this single, as all that remains from that version of the band is founder Hoare.  Yes, their 2020 single was a a lot more metalcore and significantly less glammy, but with Gambino back, and with the addition of a second guitar player that will allow Shred to...well...shred, I think it is safe to say the fun side of Blessed By A Broken Heart is likely to return in full force, at least on the upcoming album.  Yes, there will be some harsher vocals, but there is going to be a whole lot of hypershred fun and big, layered backing vocals, also, which suits me fine!   

And, hey...they even put together a Rambo-inspired lyric video for your viewing pleasure...

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*FLASHBACK* HOLY SOLDIER "PROMISE MAN"

 

(c) 1995 Forefront Records

1. Promise Man
2. Mumbo Jumbo
3. My World
4. Rust
5. Why Don't You Look Into Jesus
6. Break It Down
7. Cover Me
8. Grind
9. Love Conquers All
10. Sand

Eric Wayne--Lead Vocals

Michael Cutting--Guitars, Mandolin, Backing Vocals

Scott Soderstrom--Guitars

Andy Robbins--Bass, Backing Vocals

Terry "Animal" Russell--Drums, Percussion

Additional Musicians:

Dennis Hall--Drums

Ken Lewis--Drums

Christian rock and metal have always been accused of trend-chasing.  "This band sounds like that band", and on and on.  To my recollection, no band has had more fingers pointed at them, or accusations made, than Holy Soldier.  Perhaps that was with good reason, at least on the surface.  Holy Soldier was a band straight out of the Los Angeles/Hollywood hair metal scene featuring a polished sound, a solid stage show, and a large fan base.   After proving to be extremely successful on the Sunset Strip, with many people arguing that Holy Soldier successfully supplanted Stryper as the best Christian band to come out of that scene, the band was signed to Myrrh Records and their debut, self-titled album was released in 1990. Two years later, the band's second album, Last Train, was released, again on Myrrh Records, with both albums solidly establishing the quintet as a polished melodic metal band, easily on par with their secular counterparts from the hair metal scene. Of course, we all know that scene disintegrated with the arrival of grunge and, coupled with what Myrrh considered to be lackluster sales for Last Train, Holy Soldier lost their contract...and then their lead singer.  Refusing to cave in and fold, the band brought Eric Wayne back into the fold as their lead singer (he had replaced Stephen Patrick at one time previously), moved to Nashville, and signed to Forefront Records.  It is at this point that the trend-chasing accusations become prominent, as in 1995 the band released their third album, the down-tuned, plodding, bottom-heavy rocker Promise Man, to wide-spread acclaim...and condemnation.  With Wayne's much lower, throatier vocals, and the darker vibe of the music as a whole, the grunge tag was slapped on Promise Man in a hurry, and with good reason, as this album was about as grungy as anything in the Christian scene at the time.

Whether the band was truly chasing trends or not, Promise Man was never going to satisfy the hair metal fan's thirst for more music, as there was legitimately nothing on this record that bore much of a resemblance to the sound of the Strip.  Sure, there are several really cool, soulful guitar solos, with "Mumbo Jumbo" being a perfect example, but there was no flash, no glitz or glam to be found on this album.  That being said, the interplay between Cutting and Soderstrom is phenomenal throughout the abum, its just done in a different key and chord progression than hair metal enthusiasts desired.  Instead of trying to make what ended up becoming Patrick's solo Red Reign album, Holy Soldier went after a sound more akin to mid-tempo Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, and especially Stone Temple Pilots, which was fine by me, as I was really into those bands, as well. I was never as strict about drawing genre lines as a lot of my musical friends were, and If I liked it, I liked it. I was an open fan of a lot of grunge bands, and still am to this day.  

I'm sure a lot of fans from the first two albums double-checked the name on the label...yep, says Holy Soldier...and even looked to see that former Bloodgood guitarist, David Zaffiro, was still producing the band, which he was.  I can only imagine the flurry of skip button strikes there were as fans desperately transitioned from track to track, trying to find something familiar to hold on to.  Try as they might, however, that version of the band was nowhere to be found on this album.  I'm not going to lie and tell you that I wasn't taken aback by the shift, or that I was an instant fan of this album, because I was not.  I didn't instantly dismiss the record, however.  I loved the punchier title track from the moment I heard it, and having previously heard Larry Norman's version of "Why Don't You Look Into Jesus", I was intrigued to hear what H5 was going to do to the song.  I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised to hear the even darker take on a song that had already left a lot of Christians at a loss with lyrics that spoke openly about addiction, promiscuous sex, HIV (a lyrical change in keeping with the era), and alcoholism.  True, it may seem difficult to go "darker" than Norman was on the original, but with the gritty, grungy musical vibe, and Wayne's song-perfect vocals, this track is an absolute highlight of the record!

Elsewhere, people who skipped through the record missed out on the excellent "Rust", which features some great, bluesy slide guitar and vocals from Wayne that pull themselves from the lowest end of his range to a more tenor-based sound that perfectly suits the music.  If I'm being honest, this is possiby my favorite track on the record, although it's difficult to argue against the title track or "...Look Into Jesus", or the album's closing track (more on that in a minute) as top song material, also.

"Break It Down" continues the trend of great, down-tuned tracks, and it is here and on the next track that I think a Soundgarden comparison is pretty easy to make.  Wayne's vocals are lower than those used by Chris Cornell, but the vibe of the track and the use of the backing vocals is definitely reminiscent of Superunknown-era Soundgarden, at least to my ear.  "Cover Me" also falls into this category, as well, and it is here that Wayne sounds the most like Cornell.  The staccato rhythm guitar and simple, kick-snare-kick-snare drum attack on the verse sections really set-off the more complicated, more aggressive pre-chorus and chorus sections, where Wayne's soaring vocals really stand out.  There's a cool, effects-laden guitar solo here that really needs to be heard to be appreciated, but don't go looking for a soaring fret run like you might hear on Holy Soldier or Last Train, as that is not the goal or approach of this solo.  This is another track that definitely vies for the best of the bunch title. 

"Grind" is the fastest track on the record, and it hits pretty hard overall, as the band takes on a Stone Temple Pilots vibe here.  Short and punchy, "Grind" stands starkly in contrast to the ballad, "Love Conquers All", which drops next.  While "...Look Into Jesus" is definitely a slower track, it is not a ballad in the same sense as "Love Conquers All" is.  Layered backing vocals and a really nice melody line provide a strong support for Wayne's powerful moan on this, the most uplifting song on the record.  It isn't a stretch to hear the old version of Holy Soldier tackling this track with a power ballad approach and Stephen Patrick's much higher-register vocals, but even as great as I imagine that would have sounded, I can't envision it having a stronger impact.

"Sand" closes the album with an very cool, mid-tempo Stone Temple Pilots-meets-Led Zeppelin style that is definitely right in the wheelhouse of this version of the band.  If you question the Zep mention, all you have to do is hear the "Kashmir"-esque vibes of the guitar lines as the track rocks its way to a conclusion.  Elsewhere, there's a false finish less than a minute and a half into the song, and the closest thing to a melodic metal guitar solo on the record can be found at about the 2:15 mark, but other than that, this is a nice, gritty rocker that would have slotted in perfectly on 90s rock radio...or on SiriusXM's Lithium channel today.  Again, this is a track that I find myself drawn to repeat pretty much every time I pop this CD in.  Musically, this is probably the album at its peak, and "Sand" is right there fighting for best of the bunch, in my opinion, even if it is give the distinction of album closer.

I know this album was a shock for many, if not all, Holy Soldier fans when it was released nearly 30 years ago.  I know a lot of people skipped through it and then tossed it aside or traded it in at a used CD shop.  And I get it; I was stunned, too.  After all, I was a kid who had the self-titled album's cover as one of the main posters on my college dorm wall, and I deeply love those first two, Patrick-fronted albums.  But as I gave this album more spins, I first grew to appreciate, then to really like, what Holy Soldier was bringing to the table now.  I am curious how the band combined the two styles in a live setting, especially with Wayne now fronting the band and sounding nothing like Patrick, but my guess is they leaned heavily on this new record and just dropped in the grittier, bluesier material from the first two records.  Regardless, if you are among the many who gave this record no shot previously, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised if you give it a chance today.  I mean, hey...it's easy to find on YouTube, Amazon Music, iTunes, etc., and I can pretty much guarantee you can find it for under $5 in the bargain bin at your local used CD shop.  

Rating:  Call it trendy grunge if you will, but I call it crankable!  Nearly 30 years after its release, Promise Man still gets a 7.5!

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LIVIN' OUT LOUD with REX SCOTT (X-Sinner/Zion Vocalist)

 

Rex Scott has been on the scene for a long time, and he has seen a lot of things in those years.  As a mainstay of the 80s/90s Christian Metal scene, fronting his own band, Zion, then later taking over  vocal duties in X-Sinner, the Angry Einsteins side project, and now once again with his own GX project, Rex has played in everything from stadiums to barrooms to churches, bog crowds and small.  After having the great fortune of meeting him at a festival I booked several years ago (definitely on the small side!), I wondered what he had been up to and if he had anything up his sleeve.  Kick back for a few minutes and join me in catching up with Rex Scott of Zion/X-Sinner!

-----------------------------

PRR:  Rex, thanks for taking the time to talk with me!  It’s been a few years now since I got to meet you and X-Sinner at SkullFest in Nebraska.  Your Facebook page appears to show you being a pretty busy guy!  What’s been going on recently for you and X-Sinner?

Rex:  Well, I’ve pretty much always tried to keep busy performing, whether it’s in a local cover band or any of the original bands I play in, like X-Sinner and GX.  Those two bands don’t play out much anymore, so I find ways to keep the chops up vocally and playing.  I just enjoy performing.

PRR: How long have you been performing?  Not trying to pin an age on you, but it seems you’ve been a part of my musical world for a long time.

Rex:  Since the mid 1970s.  Zion was started in 1980 or 81, but we didn’t get a recording deal until 1988.

PRR:  Where were you performing with Zion geographically, for those first 7 or 8 years?

Rex:  We were based in Sioux Falls, SD—where I just recently moved back to from California—and we played mostly in the South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota region.  We were a Midwest thing.  We played with Rez in Omaha, but that was later on after getting on Image Records.  We actually opened for Bloodgood in Sioux Falls before we had that record deal, and that’s where we first met David Zaffiro of Bloodgood.  Their soundman quit shortly after that show, and so I volunteered to help them out of a bit of a jam, and I ran their sound for the rest of the tour.  That’s where David and I became friends and what led to him producing the Zion album, Thunder From The Mountain.  We did all the pre-production in Sioux Falls and then flew to Seattle, where David lived, to track the album.  So, David lived for almost a month in Sioux Falls, helping us get properly prepared to record the project, helping with the arranging, co-writing, etc.

PRR:  I’ve never met him, but have heard only great things about David Zaffiro.  I love his music, both with Bloodgood and as a solo artist.

Rex:  Yeah, he’s a great guy and a great friend.

PRR:  Were you always sure you wanted to do Christian hard rock and metal?

Rex:  Not really, no.  I kind of dove headfirst into it after my conversion to Christianity in 1979, because I figured that was the thing to do.  Later on, I realized there was a lot of unnecessary division between mainstream music and “Christian” music.  The CCM industry loved that aspect and profited hugely from it.  I saw that side of it and it was very money driven.  When you start meeting and interacting with different “Christian” labels, and the like, you realized that many times they were basically wolves in sheep’s clothing.  Your perspective changes.

PRR:  You are definitely not the first artist I’ve talked to that holds that opinion about the labels…

Rex:  Yeah, I’m sure.  When the sell is that the truth only comes from one side and not the other…meaning Christian versus secular…you can miss some great truths being poetically delivered in many mainstream songs.

PRR:  You mentioned that you got saved in the late 70s and decided you wanted to do Christian rock and metal.  How did the idea for Zion start?

Rex:  I was performing in a locally well-known hard rock band called ROX.  My departure from that band, and news of my conversion quickly spread through the local music grapevine.  ROX was a very hedonistic band, and so many people were kind of stunned at the change in me.  Anyway, another local musician from another established band had also quit and was looking to put something together that was rock but also glorified God, too.  That was Dave Moore.  He, and his longtime musician friend, who happened to be the program manager of the local FM rock station in Sioux Falls, Bruce Fischer, called me.  I was a drummer/singer in those days, and so we got together to jam.  We decided to try and do something, and we all had ideas for a name.  My idea was Zion, and I designed the logo. 

We began performing together for youth group events, and we put on our own concerts.  Word sprerad and we began receiving more calls to perform.  We then got to open for Sweet Comfort Band, and then we were put on the bill of a large Christian festival put on yearly in Minnesota called Sonshine.  We got a school bus and played all over the Midwest for years, way before getting a recording contract, and before Stryper or Whitecross were born.  There was only Resurrection Band, Petra, and Sweet Comfort Band, and a few others.  As the years went by, we saw all these other bands start off and the genre really took off!

As a side note, ROX was inducted into the South Dakota Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

PRR:  While we’re kind of on the subject, why do you think Christian rock took off the way it did?  I know the Jesus People USA movement of Resurrection Band had an impact, and Petra was pretty strong from the start, but there just seemed to be a boom that coincided with the mainstream metal movement of the 80s.  Was that a coincidence or a splinter effect?

Rex:  A splinter effect, more so I think.  Some was musicians who, like us, were feeling unfulfilled and were looking for something more in our lives.  Sadly, as the genre and industry grew, some saw it as an opportunity to make money.  Not that making money is bad, but it was the main motivation for some.

PRR:  So, Thunder From The Mountain was recorded on the tiny Image label.  I can’t imagine they had the financial backing to support any kind of touring, but did you hit the road for the
album, outside of that one Omaha show?

Rex:  Yes, but only briefly.  It wasn’t long after that when Greg Bishop from X-Sinner called and asked if I would be interested in singing on their next album, as they had just fired Dave Robbins.

PRR:  Was there any reluctance to leaving your own band to join another?

Rex:  There was because the offer was that I didn’t have to leave Zion to do it, so I considered doing both bands.  But once I flew out to LA to audition, then flew back to LA to record the Peace Treaty album, and then flew back out to LA yet again to go on tour, it just became obvious that I needed to move to California and leave Zion.

PRR:  What year was it when you made the decision to move to LA?

Rex:  1992.  Well, 1991, really, but the actual move was in ’92.

PRR:  So, prior to then, did you ever consider heading to LA with Zion to try that scene?

Rex:  No, not really.  We knew we weren’t in the “happening” areas, like LA or Nashville, but for traveling out, we were smack dab in the middle of the country, so traveling out was an easier reach for us.  That’s all we really cared about.

PRR:  Was there any kind of culture shock when you left our Midwest and hit California?  Can you describe the LA scene in 1991 and early 1992?

Rex:  It was the peak of the Hollywood Sunset Strip hair metal days.  Vixen came to one of our shows at a Hollywood rock club, and we talked with them and took pictures after the show.  There was big hair everywhere. (Laughs) We played the Whiskey A Go Go, places like that, with tons of bands trying to make it.  Then, shortly thereafter, Pearl Jam and Nirvana came out and grunge took over the scene.  Glam metal, and many other genres of metal, died for a time.

PRR:  Were there other Christian bands actively playing the Strip at the time?  I know Stryper was long gone by then, and Holy Soldier was probably gone by then, also.  Who were your contemporaries at that time?

Rhino Bucket

Rex:  By 92 there weren’t really any Christian bands…like you said, Holy Soldier had started in those same rock venues, but had moved on by then.  There were probably others that I don’t remember now. 
For us, our contemporaries were bands like Rhino Bucket, that were still doing it locally.  Them and Broken Teeth.  Bands like that.

PRR:  What about Guardian or The Brave?  Maybe Fear Not?  Did you encounter them at any point?

Rex:  Not really.  The Brave was a follow-up act to us on the Pakaderm label, but we never interacted much.  I met Jamie Rowe, but it was before he was in Guardian.  He was still in Tempest who opened for Zion.

PRR:  Some of the guys I have talked to, both in bands and just music fans from the scene, say they could sense a darkness, even an evil presence on the Strip.  Did you get that sense?

Rex:  Not really, but it is full of deviants and strange people, for sure!  Most of the Hollywood area is like that, so I can see why people would say that, especially if you’ve never seen things or people like that before.  It’s called “Hollyweird” for a reason! (Laughs)

PRR:  When grunge hit, were the LA bands aware of it, or did a lot of them just keep doing what they were doing, figuring it was just a phase and hair metal would recover?

Rex:  I’m sure many saw it that way, but at the same time, as the industry shifted to grunge, which then quickly evolved into modern rock like Foo Fighters, STP, Tool, and the like, and the big FM metal station, KNAC, started to lose ground to KROQ, which was a modern rock format, it kind of sunk it for most bands.  The metal scene dried up fast once that happened, at least in California.

PRR:  Before that happened, did X-Sinner ever get any love from the big stations in LA?

Rex:  We got played a little.  We were featured on a new, up-and-coming bands segment, too.  The famous DJ, “Uncle Joe” Benson did, that for us.

PRR:  Did you guys get to know any of the MTV hair metal heroes at all?  I know you mentioned meeting Vixen…

Rex:  Rhino Bucket, for sure.  There were others, but I don’t remember who.  The Marquee Club in Orange County, where we were from, had many of those bands there, and we met some of them there.  That’s a Hustler strip club now. (Laughs)

PRR:  Hang on, making a note to avoid that place!  (Laughter)  Were you ever approached with the idea of doing videos at all, or had that ship sailed by the time Peace Treaty was done?

Rex:  We had a guy who had secured a Japanese distribution deal for us, and that would have included doing some videos.  Pakaderm killed the deal though, because their terms for the deal were that it had to include ALL the Pakaderm roster, not just us.  They only wanted us in Japan, so…

PRR:  Even with the change in the scene at the time, did Peace Treaty have a pretty good tour?

Rex:  Yes.  In fact, some of the bootleg videos from places like Albuquerque, New Mexico, are still on YouTube and fun to watch.  Touring died off after that, though.  In the 2000s, like 2008 onward, we started getting calls to perform again, in places like Switzerland and Germany.  The last thing we did was a mini tour with Daniel Band in Canada, not all that long ago.  Well, and SkullFest with you, of course. 

PRR:  Of course!  (Laughs)

Rex:  Time flies, though.  It’s been a few years now.  Greg retired from the band…although I have some news about that…so I play with local guys whenever I can.

PRR:  Who did you guys tour with?

Rex:  We did a few shows with Bloodgood, together with one of the thrash bands.  I honestly can’t remember if it was Vengeance (Rising) or Deliverance.  We mostly headlined everywhere we played and local bands would open.  I’m hearing that they want us to perform at next year’s Immortal Fest in Ohio, if they do it again.  They wanted us this year, but Greg was in Spain.

PRR:  That would be awesome!  I know Dorn Reppert from Image Records is pushing for it on Facebook.

Rex:  Yeah, it sounds like it would be great!

PRR:  When you were touring with X-Sinner, or even with Zion, were you ever confronted with the whole “Rock is Satan’s music” thing from radical church groups?

Rex:  Oh, sure.  Guys would come up afterwards with bibles pen to some verse or something, trying to show it to us.  We didn’t experience that often, but it did happen.  While on tour with Bloodgood on our way to West Virginia, I think it was, we got word that the Christians were fasting and praying we wouldn’t come…and so were the Satanists! (Laughs)

PRR: (Laughter)  Talk about not being wanted!

Rex:  (Laughs) Right?!

PRR:  Did anything about joining X-Sinner surprise you? 

Rex:  Oh sure; things are never how you think they are, or will be.  Greg was the boss of the band, for sure.  It was his band.  I, of course, couldn’t know that until I actually met them and joined.  They all had pretty much successful careers.  Greg is an electrical engineer, and Mike had a rehearsal studio business.  Slayer was actually one of his long time clients!  When we played “Walking Evil” from our first record for those guys, they flipped out and loved it! (Laughs)

PRR:  Who was in the band at the time you were brought in?

Rex:  Greg on lead guitar, and he’s the founding member.  Mike Buckner on drums, and Rob Kniep on bass.  It’s the same lineup that’s on Get It.

PRR:  It’s funny you mentioned that about Greg because a lot of people I know assume you broke Zion up to create X-Sinner.  When I tell them you weren’t even on the first X-Sinner album, they’re surprised.

Rex: Sure, I could see that.  Only the diehards know the truth! (Laughs)

PRR:  Did you get to do much writing for Peace Treaty, or was the album already written?

Rex:  Most of the music was written, but I had complete responsibility to come up with the lyrics and

Original art idea for Peace Treaty

their melody lines. The working title for the song “We Need Love” was “I Say No”…just something they threw down to track the music to.  I totally changed it.  They gave me carte blanche with the lyrics.

PRR:  What was your recording experience like at Pakaderm?  Did you interact with the Elefantes much?

Rex:  Dino worked with the band in the big room, called Studio A.  John oversaw all the vocal tracking in the smaller vocal room, called Studio B.  I worked with John exclusively.  I mean, we hung out with Dino, too, but as far as work, it was John on my end.   

PRR:  That had to be exciting!  They are known to be perfectionists and have a pretty good idea of what sound they are going for with their bands…

Rex:  John was very demanding, but not unlike my experience with David Zaffiro.  Both are similar when tracking vocals.  “Do that again!”  (Laughs)  Or “try it like this!” (Laughs)

PRR:  (Laughter)  When you were writing the lyrics, was there any guidance or direction about being Scripturally sound or anything like that?

Rex:  No.  They knew what I brought to the table when they heard the Zion lyrics.

PRR:  Was it intimidating at all to step into an established band that had a record label and an album already under their belt?

Pre-Rex X-Sinner

Rex:  I had really liked their first album (Get It).  It had come out about the same time as Zion’s, so I was more excited than anything to give it a go.  They were on a bigger label, with Word behind Pakaderm, so I was liking that part, too. 

Many people don’t realize that the Zion album had the most top ten hit singles of any rock act that year.  Myrrh really wanted to sign Zion, but Dorn Reppert, the owner of Image Records, wanted too much from them to do it.  They signed Holy Soldier instead.  Dorn regrets that now.

PRR:  I’ve heard a lot of guys talk about how bad the “Christian” labels treated them…

Rex:  What you hear is all true!  (Laughs)  Except Dorn and Image Records.  He’s always been legit.

PRR:  Did Pakaderm treat you badly?  I’ve always heard they were good to their bands.  Now, Pure Metal…sheesh!...there are some, ummm….less than pleasant things said about them…

Rex:  I will only say this: we didn’t care for Pakaderm’s production of our sound, and they were making way more money on the albums than it would have cost us if we had just hired them by their own hourly studio rates.  The budgets were so padded the bands could never totally recoup and pay off the recording budget to receive any real profit.  It was a case where the band could never see any money other than the writer’s royalty.  That was why we left the label and did not record the third album with Pakaderm.  Word was providing the funds for each project according to what Pakaderm told them it would cost.

PRR:  Did you ever encounter bands who used Christianity as their gimmick to gain notice from labels?  I know of a couple that have received that criticism…

Rex:  I’ve heard of some, but I’ve never encountered any of them personally. 

Funny as it may sound, X-Sinner was never really into the Christian scene.  We didn’t keep track of any of the bands.  We just had no interest.

PRR:  When you were in X-Sinner, or even previously in Zion, how much was your image a factor?  Were you encouraged to look a certain way?  I was talking to a musician from another band who had labels telling them that some members didn’t have “the look”.

Rex:  That’s the strange things labels could do, I guess.  Like they really know what’s up! (Laughter)  Nah, we just looked and dressed how we wanted.  Zion was a bit more of the big hair look, but X-Sinner was just mostly leather and jeans.

PRR:  So, as we talked about a bit ago, Peace Treaty hit at a rough time for hard rock and metal
bands, in general, and Christian bands specifically.  Was there any thought of getting grungy, similar to what Holy Soldier did with Promise Man?

Rex: No.  A while after the touring was done, we wanted off the Pakaderm label, but they wouldn’t let us go at first.  So, we recorded a more modern rock-sounding album under the moniker of The Angry Einsteins, since we couldn’t record as X-Sinner until Pakaderm let us go.  It’s more Foo Fighter-ish and Bob Mould inspired album.  It almost landed us a mainstream deal on a Sony label, and it’s one of Greg’s, and my, favorite things we’ve tracked.  I was the drummer in the Einsteins, and we all sang.  It took over a year to complete.

We performed live just a handful of times in SoCal as The Angry Einsteins, then Greg moved to Australia for his job.  He was “down under” for about three years, or so, before moving back to California.

Rex's current kit

PRR:  Did it feel good to get behind the kit again?

Rex:  It did!  I love drumming, and I own three kits today.  I’ll send you pictures of one of them.

PRR:  Was Angry Einsteins ever considered by Pakaderm to let you out of your contract?

Rex:  No.  By then, any and all communications to them was through our attorney.  We were just out there doing what we enjoyed until they let us record as X-Sinner again.

PRR:  Once you were finally in the clear, label-wise, how did X-Sinner move forward?  Was there still the fire for X-Sinner to continue with new material?

Rex:  There was, but we had some other things we wanted to take care of, like Fire It Up.

PRR:  That was actually the first album after getting out of the Pakaderm contract, right?

Rex:  Yeah, it was basically Peace Treaty retracked and remixed, with the new song, “Fire it Up” added to it. 

PRR:  What was the thought behind that?  Was that a decision your new label, M8 Records, made, or was the band not happy with the original sound?

Rex:  Both, but it was mostly to improve the sound.  We never cared for Pakaderm’s mixes.

PRR:  Tell me about your other project, GX.

Rex:  Well, we (X-sinner) eventually developed plans to do one last album to be called Going Out With a Bang.  We started writing and tracking roughs for it, but set it aside as Greg decided to retire from the band.  His life was very hectic at the time and he wanted to concentrate on that.  Coupled with the fact that our previous album, World Covered in Blood, ended up being illegally downloaded in the hundreds of thousands of times, there just wasn’t a lot of motivation to do another “free” album. 

So, GX came out of the blue during this time.  A guy from Canada, named Glenn Thomas, got my number from somebody and had wanted me to maybe sing on a song he had recorded.  I get calls like

that every so often, so I kind of blew him off.  He said he was a studio musician who produces, mixes, and masters stuff for artists.  I said, “send me the song”, and it was a great song, although the lyrics were cheesy (laughs).  So, I changed them and tracked my stuff to it.  It was now called “Love I.V.”, and it turned out so good I asked if he had any more songs.  That one song led to a whole album, Bite Stick. 

PRR:  There was a pretty long layoff between Peace Treaty and Fire It Up and Loud and Proud…and even Angry Einsteins.  Was there any thought of firing Zion back up?

Rex:  Not really.  We have always kept in contact over the years, but we have only recorded since then.  No discussion of reuniting, mainly for logistics reasons, as none of us live very close to each other these days.

PRR:  Zion has recorded?

Rex:  Yeah, we tracked a brand new song called “Can’t Hold Me Down” that’s currently only available as a digital download single.  It’s on most platforms now, I believe, like iTunes, etc.  I’d have to ask Tommy Bozung, the drummer, because he handled that part of it.  But I think it’s available in most online stores.

PRR:  Were you consulted on the recent reissues of Zion’s material?  I noticed a bonus track on the reissue of Thunder…

Rex:  I was very much involved.  We re-tracked “Big Fall” for it, as that was supposed to be on the original but we ran out of time and budget, so we re-tracked it just for the remix/remaster of Thunder.  The remix is more of what we had envisioned the original sounding like.  It’s sonically so much better. 

2019 reissue cover

There was only one song, “Less of Me” we couldn’t remix for it, because the master tape and tracks for it got lost somehow.  It’s still on there, but it was only remastered, not remixed.  The 2-inch tape reel that Zaffiro had that it was supposed to be on appears to be some other project that got tracked over it.  When you’re in the middle of a project and you need another reel, you grab one.  He probably grabbed that one not realizing what was on there.

PRR:  What about the Thrillseeker CD that was put out by Retroactive Records? 

Rex:  That was originally called History, and it wasn’t produced for retail.  It was supposed to be just for the band for memories, but Retroactive wanted to release it and had the idea to add the “Thrillseeker” track to help sell it.  It wasn’t a high production recording.  They did come up with some cool cover art, though. (Laughs).  It’s mostly scrappy tracks and demos, and I was hesitant in putting that out, honestly.   

PRR:  So during X-Sinner’s downtime, and without thoughts of resurrecting Zion, was there any thought that the band might just be done, or was the band kind of riding out the whole grunge/alternative movement?

Rex:  Well, like I said, the Einsteins record took a little over a year to record.  During that time, Greg moved away to Australia, which kind of slowed the ability of the band to do anything live.  So, we did kind of ride the grunge wave out, but not in a typical way, I guess.  Before Greg came back we released those Loud And Proud demos and stuff, which eventually led to us tracking World Covered In Blood.  Greg flew back to track his parts in my home studio, then went back to Australia.  Then, not too long after that album came out, we started getting calls to perform live again.  Greg eventually moved back and we started doing fly-in dates all over the place…Switzerland, Germany, Canada…North Platte, Nebraska…(laughs).  This recent Immortal Fest interest has helped bring Greg out of band retirement, and we are discussing tracking a new album, currently.

PRR:  I know you keep teasing about North Platte, Nebraska, but I want you to know that seeing you guys live was one of the true highlights of the event for me.  You guys were awesome to everyone, and people still mention you and Whitecross to me, honestly, more frequently than they mention Michael Sweet and Oz Fox…

Check out that Sunday lineup!

Rex:  That’s nice to hear.  Thank you.  I actually drove through there last July in my move back here and had some fond memories. 

PRR:  You are always invited to stop by my house and say hi.

Rex:  Be careful…I might just stop! (Laughter)

PRR:  The Christian metal subgenre is always criticized for being copycats.  Whitecross is the “Christian Ratt”.  Fear Not is the “Christian Skid Row” or sometimes the “Christian Slaughter”.  And, of course, X-Sinner is the “Christian AC/DC”.  I highly doubt anyone sets out to sound like a Christian version of anyone else, so do you take that assessment as a compliment or as a cheap shot at your individual artistry?

Rex:  It’s a compliment of sorts, I guess.  We just consider ourselves one of many bands that exhibit flavors of our influences, just like Rhino Bucket or Airborne.  There was never any thought process of, “Hey!  Let’s do music that sounds like…” fill in the blank.

PRR:  Rex Carroll told me if people want to compare them to Ratt, he’d like to try comparing bank accounts, too!  (Laughter)

Rex:  (Laughter)  True!

PRR:  Are you always writing, even if it’s just thoughts or song ideas?

Rex:  Yes.  I record ideas constantly on my voice recorder on my phone.  I have a ton of guitar riff ideas recorded on it, too.  It’s funny because I just listened to a bunch of really old ones I had tracked on previous phones, and somehow when the stuff got transferred onto my newest phone, the files got corrupted and sound like fluctuating tape recordings, speeding up and slowing down, really wobbly!  (Laughs)  I don’t know how that happens to a digital recording, but once goes from, say, two phones ago, it does that.  I have to sometimes try to figure out what I was actually playing at the time, it’s so bad on some of them.

PRR:  Speaking of guitar, I have people all the time asking me what does so-and-so play?  What’s your guitar and rig of choice?

Rex:  When in Zion, we actually had the Zion guitar company make us all custom Zion guitars.  We have the Radicaster.  I use that for soloing.  I use a 2001 Gibson SG Junior with a custom Solodallas pick up installed in it for my rhythm guitar tracking.  I use a red skull-covered Washburn Idol for almost all the live stuff because it’s tough and it’s cheap.  So, if the airlines destroy it, I’m not out the big bucks like I would be if I took the others on the road.

PRR:  Do you ever have thoughts of doing another X-Sinner album, even if you don’t tour with it, since Greg is mostly retired?

Rex:  Funny you should ask.  We have decided to begin recording another album from the remains of what was to be the Going Out With A Bang album we shelved when Greg retired.  We are currently getting prepped for that.

PRR:  Who will be on the record this time around?  You’ve been pretty solid with the lineup from the get-go, with you, Greg, and Rob.  Will you do the drumming, too?

Rex:  We will be having Glenn from GX handling the drumming chores.  He’s the only drummer I’ve ever played with that plays just like Phil Rudd of AC/DC.  I call him Glenn Rudd all the time! (Laughs)  He will also be mixing and mastering it. 

PRR:  Is it easier with the internet and today’s technology that allows you to work from just about anywhere?  Will the band still get together for a time to work on the album?

Rex:  Today’s technology certainly does make it easier, for sure.  But, there will be both.  We will get together for some of it, yes.

PRR:  What would it mean to X-Sinner to be invited to a festival like ImmortalFest or some other festival?  And is it doable?  I know a lot of fans seem to want it…

Rex:  Its very doable.  There has been talk of having Zion, too, in the past, and that would be harder to pull off.  But either way, those kinds of events are always enjoyable to play.  We typically throw a Zion song into the X-Sinner set, anyway.

In fact...I heard a rumor that Zion might make a guest appearance during X-Sinner’s set at ImmortalFest ’23.  Just a rumor, though, and you didn’t hear it from me! (Laughs)

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While Rex was kidding with me about the "rumors" of X-Sinner being at ImmortalFest, it has been confirmed this news is NOT simply a rumor; X-Sinner will be at ImmortalFest '23, and it is pretty much guaranteed that Zion will be making an appearance, as well.  Check your calendars and mark the Labor Day weekend as being booked with plans to head to Ohio to see Rex and the gang!

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