Talk about a long awaited release. Guardian fans aware of the energy the band exerts in concert have been waiting for a live CD for quite some time. No matter how long you've been waiting, you will not be disappointed by the project these veterans of the Christian music industry have put out. All Guardian's intensity and talent is captured in this album.
This rock quartet included their best songs from the past five years on this album, along with one of the greatest songs written in the past twenty years. Guardian's cover of U2's 'Pride' is in itself worth purchasing the album. Performed to perfection, the energy of the crowd lingering behind the intriguing lyrics and catchy rif played by Tony Palacios on guitar and rock solid beat produced by Karl Ney is enough to send chills down your spine.
The rest of the album is not lacking in any sort. Jamie Rowe is his usual, crowd pumping self on this album, just like when you saw him back in high school. His voice has its pure rock sound and can really be appreciated because your hear it straight--no overdubs, no special recording effects--the raw live sound is great. 'Revelation' is a great example of the rock this quartet can produce. This song is an excellent combination of distorted guitars, driving bass lines, and a rock voice.
The group does a great job on song selection for this album. There is a great diversity of the Guardian sound from the rif driven 'Coffee Can' from the Bottle Rocket album to the earlier rock/pop sound of 'Lion's Den' from the Buzz project. The only negative is they only play songs from the Buzz and Bottle Rocket albums--so it's far from a comprehensive Guardian experience. The order of the songs adds to the flow of the album and keeps you in the music. There are no dead spots in this album, just straight through rock 'n roll.
Guardian has my full support on this album. It has everything I remember from their live show, except the craziness on the stage, which is hard to reproduce on CD and fine with me. My only disappointment is that there are only 10 songs on the album. They cover most of the good songs but there are still some I would have liked to have seen on the CD. Overall a good album, one for the Christian rock listener.
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #83Reviewed by David BixlerThe title says exactly what this disc offers: a live concert recording of Guardian. It primarily features material from their more recent albums (like Bottle Rocket and Buzz). When thinking about live albums, typical stereotypes that tend to arise are that the sound quality is generally poor, that the true live ambience of the band is not captured, and that only true fans enjoy live albums. Well,…HM Magazine #81Reviewed by Doug Van PeltHere's a good-sounding live album with recent material from Buzz and Bottle Rocket making up the set list. The surprise wonder is the amazing cover of U2's "Pride (In The Name of Love)." I've never heard anyone get so close to Bono's voice. Worth the price of admission alone. Available from Rad Rockers (see their full page ad in this issue for ordering info).Similar sounding releases
2004Veni DomineThe Album Of Labour
2004EvergreyThe Inner Circle
1998TeramazeTears to Dust
2003NarniaThe Great Fall
2000ImpellitteriCrunch
1995DeathSymbolicMore from Guardian
1993Miracle Mile
1997Bottle Rocket
1999Sunday Best
1998The Yellow and Black Attack Is Back!
1994Swing Swang Swung
1995Buzz
