Customer Reviews

Mercury

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Prayer Chain disbanded after touring for this album. Tensions within the band eventually took their toll and caused a split. Many consider "Mercury" to be the apex of their career - a work so wrapped in the band's complex relationships that it came as a dense surprise to casual Prayer Chain listeners used to their trademark pop-grunge sound. This was a departure from the musical roads the band had treaded before into a landscape full of middle eastern influences, sweeping noise, and tension/release dynamics.

To see this album presented live was to witness, in full effect, the blistering nature of these songs. The mercurial textures and visual displays transcended the nature of the songs and created an air of hope. The songs, anchored by a steady, heart-swelling bass and an eclectic rhythm section, sounded full and organic on the stage. Unfortunately, only the album remains as documentation to the strength of these songs.

Each track individually speaks of the struggles of human relationships. Whether that relationship is with other humans, nature, or God - these songs hold no answers but rather examine process of life - the journey that we all must walk and the places we stop along the way. The final song is purely an instrumental postlude - a summation of the places the album has gone. It is like the tired sigh of satisfaction after finishing a race, crossing the finish line that was once the place that you started.

"Mercury" won't be written about as an earth-shattering rock album or one of the albums that redefined music mostly because no one really heard it. Bound by the confines of the "christian" music industry this album never had the chance to reach a mainstream audience. But don't confuse bad marketing with the reality of what this music is about. It is truly one of those special pieces of art that transcends labels and dwells less on conclusions and more on the process we all go through to reach them.

If I had only five albums that I could take with me for the rest of my life, this would be my first pick. Simply put, this is the greatest, most amazing album I have ever bought.

This album is beautiful, but not because of what is on the surface. This is an album full of spiritual tension. From the opening track of "Humb" to the final track of "Sun Stoned" (the bassist, Eric Campuzano, once said "the album begins and ends praising God and everything in between is just life"), the album takes the listener on a trip from the highest of highs ("Breathe") to the lowest of lows ("Mercury," "Shiver"), the two often being contrasted right next together (as in the case of "Breathe" and "Mercury"). The beauty in this album is found in what lies beneath; the beauty is like the type of beauty that comes from some sort of painful, yet redemptive, rebirth.

Musically, the Chain always walked a rather fine line between the musically accessible and musically intricate; this is the most pronounced on "Mercury." From the opening of "Humb" and its quiet/loud contrast of chant-like vocals (vocalist Time Taber sings one of the Psalms) and Middle Eastern scales and Aboriginal rhythms to the nine-minute long "Breathe" (and the almost nine-minute long "Sun Stoned"), this album spawned few radio singles. But, for the listener who has an hour to really appreciate this album, this is a reward. This isn't an album of songs - it is an album of song where each individual song serves to help create a complete whole.

Complex, deep, and beautiful.

There is something about a tension within a group of musicians that when they break through and create music despite it, something of lasting stability and beauty is born. Such is the case, also, for the Prayer Chain's masterpiece Mercury. This album is melancholy, ambient, beat heavy, strange, and brilliant. After the "grungy" sound of their first EP and LP this record was a shock for fans. All but gone are the heavily distorted guitars and rock beats. This album has MOODY written all over it. It is very reminiscent of early '70's Pink Floyd and U2's The Unforgettable Fire, but never sounding unoriginal. Andrew Prickett is sounding his most inspired on this record with the usual guitar effects plus a sizeable amount of delay, tremolo, and reverb. Right from track one, Humb, you know something is different. A drone carries on for close to six minutes with Tim Tabor's vocals barely decipherable due to massive amounts of reverb. Then suddenly a burst of tribal percussion and a heavily distorted bass comes it. The effect is stunning. Standout tracks are Waterdogs, Grylliade, Creole, Sky High, Mercury, and Bendy Line, although all the tracks are brilliant. In fact, this is an album that almost has to be listened to from start to finish, not unlike Dark Side of the Moon. When the CD is done you are left wondering what just happened. It's like you were on a journey that took you around the world, into outer space, to heaven, and back to tell the tale.

I lack words to describe this album. It is such an experience to listen to from start to finish. Eric Campuzano said in an interview that "We wanted to make an album that sounded like it came from the earth." I would say they did succeed. The music is strangely haunting and soothing as you listen to it. It is by no means music to rock out to. This is music to digest and really hear the emotion flowing out of it. They use many middle eastern type drum beats through out the album along with feedback that you can't believe from the guitar. I have yet to hear anyone do anything similar with guitar like Andy Prickett did on this album. It truly is a one of a kind awesome album. Sadly, it will always be one of a kind, due to the bands break up after completing this album. However I would take one awesome album to 5 mediocre albums anyday.

You have to listen and really hear.

"Mercury" is an album that is truly alternative; moody, dark, and passionate. It remains one of the most innovative albums ever done by a Christian band. Unlike previous "Chain" albums, this one centers around the percussion section and the inspiring voice of frontman Tim Taber. It deals with faith on a very real perspective; often pleading with God to make sense in an often chaotic world. Highlights include Sun Stoned, Mercury, Shiver and the very sensual "Bendy Line". An incredible album to listen to with the lights off and the brilliance of the songwriting grows with each listen. Truly an amazing album from one of California's greatest "unknown" bands.JRM

Without question, this album is a timeless peice of art. It leaves you completely sedated and real. I don't have any other album like it, and suppose I never will. This was one of the first that got converted to MP3 when the digital age hit, so I could keep it forever.

I warn you that if you purchase it, you might not Love it at first. It grows on you. I would easily consider this album in the top 5 albums of all time in my opinion. It's certainly the most original. It takes risks and leaves you feeling gripped by it's raw emotion and energy.

Labeling it a "Christian" album is a hard task as it does little to provide answers or direction towards following Christ. However, it does succeed on many levels to admit man's weakness and insecurities. This is the part that I enjoy the most about the album. It provides company to your misery in a sense. I find this strangely comforting.

Probably the most admirable point of the entire album (and where it succeeds the most) is the time and space it creates, somewhat reminiscent of Pink Floyd's earlier albums (Meddle, etc..) You'll find points in the album where there may not be a great deal of order but what seems like they are just taking their time to get to a place musically. It demands your ear and mind pay it full respect.

Thanks be to Prayer Chain for this lone Masterpeice I proudly keep a hidden gem and secret.

It's hard to take your music somewhere totally new, innovative, and accessibly beautiful and emotionally powerful at the same time. This album suceeds in a way no other album I know of has. It is mature rock that stands head and shoulders above 95% of music born in both the secular and Christian arenas. I often tell people I think the album was too brilliant and original to succeed in the Christian genre. A dissappointment, but, fortunately, someone had the wisdom to take this record through to realease.

10 years after purchasing, I still listen to this record regularly and continue to be impressed and touched with the complex textures.

Thank you to the Prayer Chain for this masterpiece.

This is my favorite CD, until I hear one that has better guitar work. I think the guitar playing on this CD is simply irreplaceable. The utterly masterful use of feedback gives the guitar lines a unique and (to me) extremely satisfying texture. Andy Prickett makes that guitar scream (with joy & with anger), brood, and even seduce. In short, he uses it as a tool to expertly express the emotions of the speaker in each well-written song. This album can be jarring in its occasional use of high-pitched tones in the background vocals and guitar and its lack of strong melody lines, but the songs are so good that you'll get over it after two or three listens.

Experimental soundscapes with amazingly intriquing lyrics. The drummer is great, very tribal sounding most times. This is a good disc.

Read the other reviews here and take note that everyone has given this disc a 5 star rating!

This music can't really be catagorized easily and to just say it's 'Christian' without further explanation doesn't do it justice. This is art, and what's more it is good art. Matter of fact, it's very good art.

I sampled this album when it first came out, and thought it was rather strange... I wasn't "turned off" from it, but I didn't immediately HAVE to buy it. A little time went by, and I kept finding myself drawn to the thought of this CD. It sparked some sort of interest, so I went back and purchased it. I was mesmerized. You have to sit and listen to this album all the way through. You can either give it full attention, or you can space out doing something else, it doesn't matter... this is atmospheric euphoria. I have had this album almost ten years now, and I still go back to it quite often and am amazed and entranced. Are you a Christian? Are you not a Christian? It doesn't matter. This is music as an artform, and it is displayed very beautifully and uniquely. You can't compare this to anything else; there is nothing like it. That's something I look for in Christian music. And the reason why most of Christian music sucks is because a lot of it is a rip-off of things the mainstream music industry is doing. Then every once in a while, bands like The Prayer Chain (specifically on "Mercury" and "Antarctica," their other releases broke no new ground or anything), and Poor Old Lu come along and then you realize that every once in a while the Christian music scene can actually put out something worthwhile.

Sun Stoned is the most spiritual (doesn't necessarily have to be in a "religious" way either, I've done drugs to this song, I'm 100% serious) trance-y atmospheric song I've ever heard. Over 8 minutes of psychedelic bliss. No joke. I had never heard guitar playing like this before, and I haven't since. Tim's voice is just so fitting in this song, along with the repetetive yet hypnotizing bassline. When the drums come in... I just can't describe the atmosphere this song creates. The whole album is absolutely phenominal, but this one song by itself is worth more money than you can imagine. Please, please, please get this CD if you like originality in music. You won't regret it.