Oh man, this stuff is heavy! The first song starts with this bass loop and then, after a while, the rest joins... When you first hear the voice of Jason Stinson (singer), you just can't believe how this guy can do that - he just HAS to get his voice damaged, screaming like he does! I must say, when I first heard this cd -I wasn't used to music louder than the Smashing Pumpkins then- I thought that this just HAD to be the loudest band in the world! Now I know better, but these guys really know how to make some "aggressive" hardcore/metal here! Very nice bass loops (Jason Obergfoll), the guitars (Reggie Shumway) rule cause they're so FAT and the drums (Ryan Hayes) are also terrific, and then there's that voice that just keeps on screaming... I really dig this album! A friend of mine told me that he had heard that the docter told the singer that he would only have his voice for another 2 years, after that he'd loose his voice. Since then, at least 2 years have passed, but he's still singing! It's hard to understand the words Jason's singing, but you can hear it after you've read the lyrics while you're playing the cd.
The lyrics deal with a number of serious topics and, as I see it, they contain a lot of truth. The first song, for example, is telling you that Jesus can change your life, no matter how you're doing at the moment. Jesus can open new doors for you, if you want him to. ("Game Over")
After that, "Sacrificed" kicks in... A great, catchy song, as far as you can call a metal/hardcore song "catchy" of course. The lyrics are kind of spoken to Jesus, who gave his life and came back from death, taking away sin from humanity.
There is also a song on people who do blindly what their church tells them to do, instead of following the only way to God, and that's Jesus Christ. ("The Religion Lie")
The lyrics of "Prayer" can be used as a prayer. "Life Once Lost" and "Help" deal with life before knowing Jesus, when life was empty and lonely.
The lyrics on this album are very direct, but I think they tell the truth. If you would like to form an opinion of your own about these lyrics, check them out yourself!
In short: great album, great voice, great lyrics. I'd give it 90 out of 100 points!
Martijn