Customer Reviews

The Light in Guinevere's Garden

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Innovation and variety are key elements to the strength of an album. In recent years we have seen a trend of formula music increasingly dominating the airwaves, both Christian and secular. Beating an actual musical style (read:NOT bubblegum pop) to death has left formerly creative music such as ska and rapcore sounding tired and unappealing.
EastWest, when first incepted, was by all facets a rapcore band. However, "The Light In Guinevere's Garden" has seen a shift from their rap-rockin' roots. From the bass rumble and slowly ascending sound of a clock tick on the opener "Awake", the mood kicks into a hard rock stomp with a vengeance. Track two, "Song X" sees a rap verse delivery, with a driving guitar chorus, which is as close to their early days as they come. From their, "Nephesh", "Ded", and "Breathe" showcase hardcore growls and blistering musical accompanament that lets you know that these guys mean business. Further showing their diversity is "Closure", a melodic but heavy song detailing the Christians struggle to maintain Godliness in a godless world. "Let You Go" and "She Cries" are the ballads offered here, seemingly out of place, but again showing that they aren't limited to one musical genre. Diversity abounds, and they truly are accomplished musicians, yet the only thing lacking is the aforementioned innovation. Spectacular music, passionate singing, undoubtedly one of my top 5 of the year, just nothing unexpected. I look forward to seeing this band put out more great music in the future. Truly they are one of the great underdog Christian artists.

This cd is extremely awesome. I have had it for so long, and am not even tired of one song yet. I saw East West in concert at Six Flags Magic Mountain, and their concert was worth more than what I paid for. ...

In my opinion, this is East West's best CD. It got an award for Christian Hard Rock Album of the Year at the Dove Awards, and rightfully so. Hits like "Song X," "Superstar," "Closure" and "She Cries" tore up Christian rock radio in 2001 when this album came out. In addition to the hit singles, every song on this CD is a great. When it comes to comparing their sound to other Christian bands, I would say Demon Hunter comes the closest. You can't go wrong with this CD if you like the Hard Rock/Metal genre. My favorites are "Wake," "Nephesh," "She Cries," and "Let You Go."

I think that when I open a CD, I like to be surprised. I like to be surprised by the songs because I will always go into the CD thinking I know what the songs are going to sound like for the most part. Sometimes I am wrong, sometimes I am right. I love being wrong. With this CD, I was wrong. I heard about this band through the BMG music club I am in, thinking they were just another band like Linkin Park or Bizkit. I didn't even know that these guys were a Christian band. You wouldn't think it by their sound. But if you really pay close attention to the lyrics, you realize they really are. 'Closure' and 'Wake' are probably the best songs on the disc, but another song that is absolutely unforgettable is 'She Cries', the reason I was so surpised by this CD. The song is so haunting and the melody is so beautiful that you just want to climb to the top of a mountain or swim the bottom of an ocean with that song pounding in your head because of its thematic beauty. I am so sorry I never heard of this band before. Just another example showing that some of the best bands out there are almost unknown. East West deserves a massive round of applause for this disc. It has anger, it has melody, it has emotion, and it has life and morals written in. Buy it, burn it, whatever. JUST GET IT!!

I've been waiting for a full length album from these guys for quite some time. I heard "song x" a couple years ago on a sampler and have been watching for a full length.
This is a great hardcore album. A couple songs are a bit on the melodic side, which is not really a bad thing but their strength is in their hardcore sound. A couple of the songs have elements of rap but they are not a "rapcore" band. There are also elements of a few other different styles (Korn, Foo Fighters). Musically they are all over the place.
Lyrically, they are a Christian Band, the music puts across a good message to go with their hard hitting sound.

My fiance and I really were really hit hard with the reality that God needs to be in our relationship. I knew that the hardest thing for me to give up would be the non-Christian music I listen to, much of it considered devil-music. I love heavy metal, but I wanted something that would praise our Heavenly Father. Well, this is the perfect CD. It takes a listen to get used to, but after that, that CD has not left my car stereo in a few days (unlike me). It not only praises God, but it contains so much more talent than most bands I listened to before. I great CD for heavy metal fans, and lovers of the Lord. Highly recommended to anyone and everyone. May the Lord bless us all!!

East West was Hard Music Magazine's ALBUM OF THE YEAR!!!
This is the best Christian Metal band ever. I would certainly recommend this album to anyone who headbandgs or moshes to anything modern metal style like Drowning Pool, Disturbed, Linkin Park, TRUSTcompany, etc...
01. Wake - Heavy drums, unique guitar riffs that'll blow you away, with off beat screams and non-stop headbanging material.
02. Song X - Quiet beginning and killer chorus with uplifting lyrics. (Another to headbang to) This was Hard Music Magazine's song of the year. Listen to it!
03. Nephesh - Doesn't make much sense lyrically but sure is an instumental metal masterpiece. Mosh on the chorus!
04. Closure - A more melodic song lyrically, but East West style drumming and guitar mastery that will cause an earthquake!
05. Disturbed - Eerie soundFX and creepy whispering to an unexpected chorus that drops like an atom bomb. Angry sound.
06. Pictures - A slightly melodic (and equally creepy) intro, followed by a heavy but not screamy chorus which has a very unique sound to it. The screaming in the bridge is crazy!
07. Ded - Not a song you can miss!!! Awesome mosh material all the way through. The intermission is a 15 second hymn-style accapello with creepy soundFX then back to mosh mayhem. Comparable to Slipknot or Taproot
08. She Cries - Accustic ballad with very memorable and meaningful lyrics. Find the lighter and the candles for this one!
09. Superstar - A more glam-rock style on this one, kinda popish but definately worth listening to. Compareable to U2, and Everclear.
10. Breathe - Hollow guitar and drums with whispering "Breathe on me" drops into fast rapcore/hardcore style verses.
11. Let You Go - Another accustic ballad with memorable lyrics of the time the singer lost a loved one. Another one for the candles and lighter. Good way to end the album
YOU MUST BUY THIS ALBUM! IT IS WORTH IT. YOU WILL NOT BE DISSATISFIED. I eat sleep and breathe East West. Hey, at least download "She Cries" and "Wake" to see the vast differences in style they can span. Certainly a five star album! BUY IT! NOW!!!

Normally, i'd break down a cd song-by-song to explain it better, but i see that another reviewer has already done so, and i pretty much agree with what they have said. but i am a Christian who loves hard, passionate Christian music, and while i have many, many cd's, this one is still at the top of my list. It rarely ever leaves my cd changer, and while they have a style that many bands try to achieve, they have an extreme talent that makes it sound perfect. their growls dont get annoying or repetitive, unlike most bands who try to reproduce this style. Not only is this true, but East West also has an amazing ability to succeed with a variety of styles. they have a variety of songs ranging from a head-banging fury(Ded, Wake, Nephesh) to rap-core metal(Breathe, Song X) to positive glam-rock(Superstar) to tranquil songs of love(She Cries, Let You Go). This is definitely a landmark band that should make any lover of hard rock or metal way more than satisfied. U wont b disappointed.

I have to admit that before purchasing this my favorite Christian metal album was either Stryper's "Yellow and Black Attack" or P.O.D. "Satellite". But that has changed, now that EastWest has entered my collection. From the sound you wouldn't think that they were a Christian band, but they are. The lyrics are subliminal... I hope they release more albums. Here are my favorite songs....Purchase this album while it is still around!

A great mix of heavy edge and sound message, no wonder their song scored a spot on Extreme Days. A lot of hard guitar-banging with some lighter tones mixed in, added with the positive lyrics makes for a spectacular album. Not to mention the splindid art work on the cover. Other bands I would compare these guys with are Rod Laver and P.O.D. Looking forward to the next effort from this band.