Resurrection Band

Item: Lament
Author: Rob Szarka

Lament

(1995)

Reviewed by Rob Szarka

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Label Grrr Records / R.E.X. MusicThe LighthouseJuly 1995

blues rock classic rock hard rock progressive rock

After more than twenty years of making great Christian rock, the folks in The Resurrection Band (formerly known as REZ, formerly known as The Resurrection Band) could have rested on their laurels. Instead, with each new album they've stuck out their necks a little and explored new sounds. Lament is not only full of musical exploration, but is a lyrical experiment as well. The project is a concept album, telling a story, through its 14 songs, of a young man's journey in search of answers to life's questions.

Lament continues in REZ's hard-hitting tradition. "Song And Dance," for example, is a cathartic rocker along the lines of "Lightshine" and other great REZ numbers. In general, the album is a step back toward their musical roots: "Summer Throw," has a 70's flavor reminiscent of The Who or Kansas; "Richest One" could have come straight from Dylan or Clapton, though the choir blends more smoothly with the lead vocal than on any Dylan album. "Across These Fields" recalls their earlier "Under the Gun." The blues and folk influences that colored earlier albums are evident here, too. Indeed, it's impressive that REZ blends together so many musical elements to tell a coherent story-the album is almost a rock opera, albeit one with a meandering libretto.

Although they may be revisiting their roots, the sound is thoroughly modern. "Dark Carnival," a mini rock opera in itself, uses contrasting tonal colors, dynamics, and extra-musical sounds to particularly good effect. REZ's years of experience and the production work of King's X's Ty Tabor complement one another nicely: Tabor's trademark fat guitar sound certainly shaped this album, but REZ never gets lost in the mix.

As the project tells a story, the individual songs aren't stellar on their own, they really need to be taken as a whole-although a couple pieces can be taken out and stand on their own. The story is clear and direct as it tells of a man without God as he searches for answers and keeps coming up empty-until he accepts Christ.

My complaints? REZ hasn't had nearly enough snoring on their albums lately; worse, the advent of the compact disc means no more great album covers. But that's the price you pay for progress...