Customer Reviews

Soundtrack of a Soul

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

 

 

The Good

Ez Gomer (Jet Circus) kicks things off with the guitar and effects heavy track "Kings of Hollywood." Gomer's vocals are reminiscent of fellow Christian rocker Michael Sweet's (Stryper). Sebastian Bach makes an appearance on "Another Nail." It's really nice to hear something new from Baz. He delivers without missing a beat. He's a little more subdued than his Skid Row days, but still just as confident. Jamie Rowe (Guardian) hits plenty of emotional highs and lows with the acoustic ballad "Malice in Wonderland." Oni Logan (Lynch Mob) brings exceptional melodic vocals to his performance of "Show Me the Way."

One of the unsung vocalists of melodic rock, Tony Harnell (TNT), handles to mic on "Flinch." Dark guitar tones and driving riffs dominate the song, with the exception of the harmonic chorus. The combination of Mark Slaughter (Slaughter) and Pete Loran (Trixter) on "Thy Will Be Done" is a hair metal fan's dream come true (well maybe on a B-lister scale). The chorus has quite the memorable hook. The last time I heard Stephen Pearcy (Ratt), he wasn't sounding so great, but on "Killer Grin" he sounds like he has things back under control. Ted Poley's "Always Tomorrow" has a smooth melodic flow to it. The track has a slow build-up that leads to a powerful chorus.

The Bad

It makes sense to have Leif Garrett on this collection, but I just wasn't digging his song. I could have done without "Surreal" as well.

The Verdict

Okay, so Soundtrack of a Soul isn't just a straight-up rock album; it's a rock album with a message. Unlike other albums in this vein, the message comes across artful, rather than preachy. If you focus in on the lyrical content of Soundtrack of a Soul, you're sure to look at life and its obstacles a little bit closer, with perhaps a little more faith or spirituality. If that's not really something you're into, it's still a commanding rock album.

I am not 100% on all the guest vocalists but here is a short list........

Another Nail (Sebastian Bach x-Skid Row),

Sight Unseen (Leif Garret),

Flinch (Tony Harnell x-TNT),

Thy Will Be Done (Mark Slaughter of Slaughter & Pete Loran of Trixter),

Killer Grin (Stephen Pearcy of RATT);

I put off getting this because I'm skeptical of compilations with many singers/musicians. Usually there's maybe two good songs and the rest is forgettable. Ok. Big exception here as all but two songs here are really good. The song with Ez Gomer from jet circus is a great opener with a very 80's chunky guitar sound. Hightlights are also, Sebastian Bach shreddin' vocally, Oni Logan of Lynch Mob doing an awesome melodic number and Stephen Pearcy showing he's not ready to be written off. The goofy number with Scott Wenzel of Whitecross is dissapointing. And I like the song with Mike Lee of Barren Cross but wish he'd done a scorching one, not just a ballad. I miss his days with BC. Overall this is a great album with many great riffs, some nice solos, and for the most part, the vocalists put some real heart into their songs. This is a nice collection, and with some being offered for very low prices , worth the money.

2006's Soundtrack of a Soul is the sixth album from Liberty n' Justice, the Christian rock band turned all-star melodic rock project. Several prominent hard rock/hair metal vocalists were enlisted for this effort, including Sebastian Bach, Leif Garrett, Tony Harnell, Mark Slaughter, Stephen Pearcy and Ted Poley. Christian rock mainstays Jamie Rowe, Mike Lee, and Scott Wenzel are on board as well.

Needless to say, the vocal performances are the highlight of this album. Bach, Harnell, Rowe, and Poley give the best performances, but there really aren't any poor ones, unless you count Whitecross frontman Scott Wenzel's work on the appropriately-named "Surreal", and that's probably the fault of the song, not the singer. It is a bit weird having Wenzel and Stephen Pearcy on the same album given just how much Whitecross seemed to model their early sound after Ratt, but I suppose that was 20 years ago. I also thought Barren Cross vocalist Mike Lee's powerful voice was wasted on such a serene ballad as "Make Believe". Phil Naro and Bride's Thompson brothers also delivered solid performances.

Musically the album is first rate. The songs range from ballads like the aforementioned "Make Believe" to seriously heavy rockers like "Grenade" and "Killer Grin", and the musicianship is very solid.

The lyrical content is definitely Christian in nature, but it's not over the top. You'll probably get more out of the album if you share the band's religious convictions, but a lack thereof won't keep you from enjoying it purely on a musical level.

I'd call this a must-have for Christian rock fans and a should-have for fans of melodic rock in general. It's a bit uneven, and doesn't quite reach the level of greatness the list of guest stars would suggest, but Soundtrack of a Soul still a better than average melodic rock album with some very memorable vocal performances.

PS - The "School of Rock" intro was a nice touch!