Allies

Item: The River
Author: Doug Van Pelt

The River

(1990)

Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt

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Label DaySpring RecordsHeaven's Metal #28November 1990

aor blues blues rock soul

I was really hopin' that The Allies would've gotten so much positive feedback on its Zeppelin-type material from its last album (like "Old Man Down" and "Christian Man"), that it would've released an album full of blistering blues hard, hard rock. Well, I guess the guys need to support their families, and rad Christian rock wouldn't do it for 'em. This album is another smorgasbord of styles, ranging from adult light rock to old Delta blues, to mega-world music pop, to reggae, to Motown soulful blues, to blues rock. Hot picks: "Burden Down"; "Take Me To The River" (a good ole soulful-blues ditty that could shame The Blues Brothers); "Carried Away" (which makes reference to Steve Camp's infamous use of the four-letter "S-word" in CCM--bull caca); "Mule-Headed Man" (with a bold and brazen horn section); and the best and most metallic of the lot--"Rock And Roll Angel" (a heavy 'n' hard blues rocker that could shame even the Aerosmith boyz).