Customer Reviews

Fires of Babylon

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Though I would say I am more of a fan of Rob Rock's solo work, this is above and beyond the work of his other project, Driver, and by itself is a cd full of very tallented musicianship. good stuff, good solos, heavy hitting, and great vocals by Rob Rock.

Overall a solid album....no outstanding tracks, but no weak ones either. A lot of times in Christian bands, it seems like writers spend more time trying to write Christian lyrics than good music....and the results are pretty so-so. This band does not suffer from that....the music stands on its own!! You actually can get a pretty good feel for this album by listening to the 30sec clips....if you like those, you'll like the disc.

Fires of Babylon is another new melodic metal project involving vocalist Rob Rock, who between this band, Driver, Impelliteri and his solo career is certainly keeping busy. Rock is joined in Fires of Babylon by bassist Kelly Conlon (Death), guitarist Lou St. Paul (Winter's Bane) and drummer Bob Falzano (Shatter Messiah, Annihilator).

With musicians coming from death and thrash metal backgrounds, it's no surprise that Fires of Babylon is the heaviest project Rob Rock has been involved with. The crushing guitar riffs and thundering rhythms bring to mind heavier power metal bands like Brainstorm and Bloodbound, if not outright thrash bands. It's still melodic, but nowhere near as melodic as I'm used to hearing from Rob Rock. Rock, of course, sounds terrific, and brings the right amount of power and energy to match the heavier music. Most of the time it works, but there are moments where the songs seem too harsh and jagged, and I say that as someone who enjoys more extreme types of metal.

It's well established that Rob Rock is a Christian, and his lyrics usually have Christian undertones. With this project, however, the lyrical content is completely religious in nature. It's the equivalent of going to church on Sunday, with subject matter covering sinners burning in a lake of fire, resurrection of (and through) Christ and the End Times. It's by far the most evangelical album Rock has written. I respect his dedication to his faith, but I came for the music, not to be bludgeoned by his religion. If you're not a Christian, the over-the-top lyrical content may be too much to tolerate.

Ultimately, Fires of Babylon seems like a missed opportunity. I don't think I've ever been disappointed by a Rob Rock album before, but this just doesn't work for me. If you're a die-hard Rob Rock fan and a Christian, this is worth checking out. It's nowhere near as good as his solo material or Driver's Sons Of Thunder though.