Letter To God

XYZ | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 17, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: FYCO Records
• ASIN: B00009NH8P
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #362,883 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

XYZ was originally comprised of Terry Ilous on vocals, Marc Diglio on guitars, Patt Fontaine on bass and Paul Monroe on drums. The band's mastermind Terry Ilous is now back with the long awaited follow up album. XYZ is a band that has taken it from the streets of Hollywood to the biggest stages in the world. During their four-year tenure as veterans of L.A.'s club wars, XYZ followed the familiar progression of recording and mailing demos to every ear they could catch. In early 1989 the band won the devotion of Enigma Records and earned their first accolades from Don Dokken, who was so taken with the band that he demanded to produce XYZ's debut. They emerged from the studio with an auspicious debut, simply titled "XYZ".

XYZ immediately put their performing muscle to work on major national tours as the tourmates of TED NUGENT, OZZY, FOREIGNER, ALICE IN CHAINS ... XYZ then graduated to their own headlining club tour, and continued to rewrite the XYZ's of rock 'n' roll. "Hungry" the second CD,was produced by George Tutko, and the band toured the world in the early 1990's and received 2 gold albums! Terry Ilous was born the son of a French mother and a Spanish father in Paris, France. His father, who played guitar, imbued Terry with the love of music he nurtures to this day. He settled in Los Angeles and began performing in clubs around the country. During that time, he recorded with members of such diverse rockbands as OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK SABBATH, PETER GABRIEL, STING and others. The new members are JK NOTHRUP on guitars known for his work with FOREIGNER and KING COBRA, and SEAN MACNABB formally of QUIET RIOT, AND GREAT WHITE

The forthcoming comeback "Letter To God" is what the rock fans eagerly await since years! Along with JK Northrup the album was mixed by Tom Fletcher who worked for SCORPIONS, TOTO, YES among others and features 2 remakes of previous XYZ hits: "Inside Out" and "What Keeps Me Loving You". Original guitar player Mark Diglio did co-write several of the songs. "Letter To God" is dedicated to Terry Ilous' son as the song "Letter To God" was the last one they wrote for the CD especially after that tragedy of Terry's son dying late last year.

Product Description

Letter To God by XYZ

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A diamond in the rough, October 22, 2003

By 

George Dionne (Cape Cod, MA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Letter To God (Audio CD)

Who said 80's melodic rock is dead? It wasn't XYZ. "What's On Your Mind" is a throwback to the classic metal songs, loaded with sexual inuendo. Ilous even has a hint of Robert Plant and David Coverdale in his vocals. New guitarist J.K. Northrup displays pretty impressive chops during his solo. XYZ throw out some heavy riffs on "United". This song about war couldn't have been better timed. Ilous us dead on when he says `freedom loves a battlefield'. "Burn it Up" is full of high-energy riffs, as well as some great rock licks. XYZ offers up updated versions of two of their classics, "Inside Out" and "What Keeps Me Loving You". I liked the songs, but I never heard the originals. I couldn't tell you how they differ. Of course with every rock release, you have to have some ballads. "Rainy Day" starts off slow with some calming acoustics, but kicks in the power, cranked to 11. "Deny" is a sappy power ballad, and I can't stress `sappy' enough. I'm sure it was penned to make all the ladies go `awwww'. "Tell Me" is a much better ballad. The lyrics are better written and the melody is touching. Terry shows his writing talent promently on two of the more personal tracks. "Asking" is the story of a man who never got to express his feelings to his father, who has since passed on. It's hard to tell if it's just a story, or taken from Terry's real life. "Letter to God", the centerpiece of the CD, is taken from Ilous' real life. Terry lost his son late last year, and on this track, he questions his faith. It makes you think. The song was decated to his son's memory.

Bottom Line:
Letter to God is a diamond in the rough. It's loaded with crunchy riffs, melodic vocals, well-written lyrics, and impressive guitar playing. XYZ have put together a great rock record that's sure to please all rock fans. I really enjoyed the emotion that Ilous put into the more personal songs. XYZ proves that the music of the eighties is not dead, it's alive and well. It's just hard to fnd.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Older and wiser, but still XYZ, May 10, 2008

By 

Justin Gaines (Northern Virginia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Letter To God (Audio CD)

Melodic hard rockers XYZ returned to the scene in 2003 with Letter to God, their first studio album since 1991's Hungry. This time around, original members Terry Ilous, Marc Diglio and Paul Monroe are joined by former Rough Cutt bassist Sean McNabb and former King Kobra guitarist J.K. Northrup.

It's apparent from the start that this isn't going to be the kind of XYZ album people were expecting. The band - particularly singer Terry Ilous - had gone through a lot in the preceding 12 years, and that shows in these songs. Going back to simple party metal anthems just wouldn't make sense for this older, more mature group. That said; Letter to God is still a very enjoyable melodic rock album, and bears some familiar XYZ trademarks, including memorable guitar hooks, fantastic melodies, and of course Ilous's dynamic vocals. It's also a much more personal and introspective album. The recurring themes of life, death, and faith - especially in the wake of the untimely death of Ilous's son - make for a more moving listening experience than you normally get from a melodic rock album.

If you're expecting old school XYZ or a hair metal revival album, you're likely to be disappointed with Letter to God. If you have an open mind, and are looking for a good melodic rock album from a veteran act, you should find Letter to God quite enjoyable. Fans of Harem Scarem, Von Groove, Vaughn, and most of the current Frontiers Records catalog should definitely check this one out.

NOTE: There are a couple of different versions of Letter to God available. The best I've seen has 15 tracks, including the bonus tracks Never Too Late, a Spanish version of the song Tango, and rerecordings of XYZ hits Inside Out and What Keeps Me Loving You.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Stuff!, April 27, 2005

By 

Robert L. Hicks Jr. (Lake Mary, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Letter To God (Audio CD)

XYZ will always be lumped in with the "hair band" scene. This is a shame really. Great song writing with great hooks. If you liked "XYZ" and "Hungry" you should like this one as well. Terry's voice has held up well over the years. Same great guitar tone. "Letter To God" should give you a taste of that guitar tone we all love. "Tango" is another great track you should check out. "Rainy Day" takes a minute to really get rocking but once it does it is high octane Rock and Roll."United" may be the heaviest track on here and will surely get your head bobbing back and forth. Something here for everyone including a ballad or two. Pick it up!