Customer Reviews

Rebellion/Master's Command

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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While Stryper got a lot of buzz -- and, grief -- as a Christian rock band, there were other groups out there. Sacred Warrior is one of those from the late '80's. Sounding like Iron Maiden, they thrash out good heavy metal tunes: Hooks, riffs, operatic vocals, and all! The lyrics are explicitly Christian with no apologies. The production is very clear and crisp. The lead singer's voice strains a tad on the higher notes of the scale, but only strains, never breaks. The guitar work is simply great as are the drums. They obviously put effort into their technique. Unfortunately, the band broke up after 4 releases. So, you're getting half the group's work with this 2-CD set. My only criticism would be that the liner notes are very sparse. A great intro to a little known band that could rock the house down for Jesus!

If you like Queensryche, Steve Vai, Stryper, or other melodic classic metel, you will love this cd. It's heavy with strong vocals, and fast grinding guitar are now finally being regarded as part of the history of Rock and Roll in the U.S. Sacred Warrior was one of the most under-rated of these, never truly rising to the popularity they should have, but with some of the best metel I've every heard. GET IT if your head still bangs at the rythem of two guitars whaling off each other like Michael Sweet and Oz Fox, and the guys from Sacred Warrior do so well...

I was introduced to these first two of Sacred Warrior's works back in '88 while far away from my home state of Idaho.(Was selling books in Texas in the "Bible Belt" for college money.) Being a rabid fan of heavy metal for most my life, and loving bands with singers that had TRUE TALENT...you know, have a vocal range worth something. Bands like Soundgarden and Queensryche and few others have such quality singers. Sacred Warrior DOES! The songs to listen to are definately "Master's Command", "Paradise", "He Died" and "Rebellion"...in that order, if possible. These will be tunes you will catch yourself humming! But by all means, LISTEN FURTHER! Their third and fourth albums are extra rich in talented lyrics and soulful singing. ENJOY...

Forever in the shadow of bands like Stryper and Barren Cross, Sacred Warrior was one of the lesser-known (and most impressive) bands in the early Christian heavy metal scene. Sacred Warrior was without a doubt a metal band, and were clearly inspired by Iron Maiden as well as early progressive/power metal bands like Fates Warning and Queensryche. You could easily play their music alongside Spectre Within and Warning.

KMG's 1998 bare-bones reissue collects Sacred Warrior's 1988 debut Rebellion and the 1989 follow-up Master's Command in one 2-CD set. The albums have not been remastered, and the liner notes are pretty sparse. It's not the most impressive package, but the music is what counts, and these are absolutely great albums that will appeal to just about any Christian metal fan, as well as fans of classic, `80s era heavy metal.

PS: Until recently KMG's 2-disc set was the easiest, most affordable way to get these albums on CD. Earlier this year, Intense released Special Edition versions of Rebellion (Collector's Edition) and Master's Command (Collector's Edition), both of which feature remastered sound and expanded liner notes. Those reissues make this release obsolete.

What can I say? I have loved this band since the '80s and have seen them many, many times in concert. A must have for Christian Metal fans... or Metal fans of the 80's.