After many listens to this CD I’ve come to the conclusion that 3rd Day Rising is a band with a broad appeal. The temptation early on was to say that they play several different styles but now I don’t think that way. 3DR play a very aggressive form of rock which would have been called Hard Rock a decade or two ago. That’s not to say that they are retro. I don’t think anyone would call them that. This isn’t grunge, thankfully. Instead, they are a guitar-driven band with sassy vocals and occasional mood changes.
Many similarities with a lot of different kinds of bands emerge while listening to this CD. One of the strongest similarities—to me—is that 3DR remind me a lot of Living Color. This is mostly because of the combination of an aggressive guitar style and the vocals. Songs like “Pain”, “Shake Me” and “Foolin’” come to mind. Another similarity is with Mad At The World’s “rock period”. I’m referring to “Seasons of Love”, “Boomerang”, and “Through the Forest”. There is a similarity in the guitar style, especially the solos. Another feature this band has that really works for them is the back-up vocals. Noticeably good on “Sleeping Giant”, these guys are able to sing well and in harmony. And finally, there are some really clever lyrics on this disc. Note especially “House of Cards”: “Then you pulled the rug from under me/ And it all got blown away/ My golden shining palace was nothing but a house of cards”.
Ultimately I think it fair to either call 3rd Day Rising as a college band or a hard rock band. I lean towards college band because college bands tend to be aggressive and issue-oriented. The main issue with 3rd Day, of course, is the Gospel of Christ. No doubt that accounts for the passion of their music.