Customer Reviews

State of Control

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

!!!BEWARE!!! YOUR LOVE GIVES is not the last song on this disc as stated in the song listing; it is actually ESCAPE IN THE NIGHT which is the more common song that is found on the Enigma Records release. YOUR LOVE GIVES can be found on the Benson Records release which was distributed through Christian music stores when it first came out but it can also be found on the Restless Records re-release. Just thought I'd let you know so you know exactly what you're getting when you buy this. No matter what version you get, this album absolutely ROCKS!!! Barren Cross was/is a very underrated band!

Released in 1989, State of Control was the third, (and in my opinion the most professional) studio album by Christian metallers Barren Cross. If Stryper gave the faithful a righteous alternative to Bon Jovi and Dokken, Barren Cross's blazing guitars and Dickenson-esque vocals were a "gift from above" for metalheads who preferred Iron Maiden and Dio's heavier approach. Besides, there's just something appealing about a band of earnest Christians who drew such obvious influence from albums like Holy Diver and The Number of the Beast.

Barren Cross was in top form on this album. Everything about State of Control is first rate. Ray Parris just blazes away on the guitar throughout the album, the perfect counterpoint to Mike Lee's soaring vocals. The songwriting is intense and powerful, and the production quality is excellent. This album really showcases Barren Cross at their very best. The band does temper their metal assault with a remarkably good ballad ("Cryin' Over You") that puts plenty of Hollywood hair bands to shame, and a straightforward love song ("Love at Full Volume") that has little or no religious context, but in the main this is another signature Barren Cross power metal album with an unapologetically righteous message.

One of Barren Cross's best attributes is that they are viewed above all as a very talented metal band. You didn't have to subscribe to their faith to enjoy their music. Any time this band comes up in conversation, even the most jaded metal fan has to admit a grudging respect for Barren Cross's music, if not a real appreciation.

State of Control is an extremely strong metal album that anyone who enjoys bands like Iron Maiden, Dio, Judas Priest, and Armored Saint would do well to check out. It goes without saying that this is a must-have for Christian metal fans.

NOTE: State of Control was reissued in 2004, making this long out of print title available again with digitally remastered sound. There isn't any bonus material, but the sonic makeover breathes new life into this classic album.

Whatever John and Dino Elefante touches turns into GOLD!! This album is no exception. If you are looking for Dokken meets Iron Maiden meets Jesus, this is it! After listening to every song you will wonder why Barren Cross didn't get as far as Stryper. Great lyrics, guitar, bass, melodies, vocals and harmonies. I bought this on tape back when it was originally released back in 1989 and still find myself playing it from time to time. I cannot wait until this is rereleased on CD by Rykodisc in 2004!

This was one of my favorite groups back in the day and this album was more mature lyrically then their past two albums. Since my dad was an alcoholic at the time this album really spoke to me. It's already been stated whom they sound like though I actually liked bc better then maiden and priest, both of whom I used to listen to. Musically it's a throwback now but one that holds up well. It was heavier than big hair metal but not thrashy. I still listen to this and atomic arena quite a bit. Rock for the King is a little too cliche for me. If you are looking for the history of Christian hard rock this is one of the better places to start.

I'm looking for someone to email with about old and new Christian hard rock. Preferably age 32 to 42. Think it would be kind of cool to share what the music meant and means to you. bnkjohnson@netzero.net

When Barren Cross burst onto the Christian Metal scene with Atomic Arena many were taken by surprise. It's been said many times over that Barren Cross seems to be what would come from taking Judas Priest lead singer Rob Halford with the sound of Iron Maiden and giving them Christian lyrics. Like all great first albums everyone seems to anticipate a second release flop. Thankfully for all of us this is not the case. The title song "State of Control" is a 10/10 rated song to start out the album. The tempo doesn't slow down on the next song "Out of Time" which has a great guitar hook through the whole song. The albums continues to rock from there. Definitely a great album worth having for all those who enjoyed the 80's hair metal days sadly gone away.

State of Control has to be the BEST Christian Metal Album ever made.

Barren Cross actually started before Stryper--and actually did it far better. They had a harder, raw edge that refused to pull any punches. They addressed real issues without incessant preaching.

They also had good music. Cryin' Over You is one of the best power ballads. Bigotry Man (Who Are You), while having simplistic lyrics, musically shows some creativity with hard-thrash metal. The Stage of Intensity wonderfully blends acoustical guitar with thrash metal galore. Frankly, I found no bad songs on this album.

If only they hadn't broken up.

Barren Cross followed their classic "Atomic Arena" with the release of "State of Control" in the spring of 1989. SOC continues the lyrical direction of "Atomic Arena" combining spiritual themes with issues-oriented songs. The title track is about a child living in a home with an alcoholic parent. Other issues-oriented songs include "A Face in the Dark" (teenage runaways) & "Bigotry Man (Who Are You)" (racism). On the spirtual side, the Rapture-themed "Out of Time" would have made a great theme song for the film version of "Left Behind" a few years ago. "Inner War" follows the struggle between the spirit & the flesh. There is one slight error: On this remastered reissue through Restless/Rykodisc, the ballad "Your Love Gives" is listed on the back, and the lyrics are listed, but the actual CD has "Escape in the Night" in its place. Hey Restless, what happened? SOC also has a couple of "relationship" songs--"Cryin' Over You" (a post-breakup song) and an ode to married love titled "Love at Full Volume." Altogether, "State of Control" isn't quite the classic "Atomic Arena" is, but it is still a very good metal album, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

As of 1989, Barren Cross was widely considered to be among the 5 most respected bands in so-called "white metal" (heavy metal music coupled with lyrics from a Christian frame of reference) and looked as though they might be poised to make use of their label contacts to break big (as labelmate Styper already had). Having just released the classic "Atomic Arena", they were now faced with the daunting task of trying to top it.

The band members are the same. The producers are the same. Many of the basic themes are the same. The only problem is the songwriting is a little weaker this time out.

"State of Control" is one case in point. Like "Deadlock" from the previous CD, it deals with substance abuse (alcohol this time) but it's not as compelling as "Deadlock" was, and makes for a less than stellar intro to the album. The album also suffers a bit from a lack of identity as they alternately lean towards a harder sound on some tunes and a more pop friendly hair metal style on others.

Best tracks:
Power ballads are usually the bane of any metal album's existence but here "Cryin' Over You" is actually a decent track and a big improvement over "Heaven or Nothing" from "Atomic Arena". "The Stage of Intensity" is a cornucopia of moods from a delicate acoustic intro to almost Metallica-ish fullbore rocker about the thrill of playing live. ("You act as the jury in the court of rock and roll"). while a bit campy, rockin' love song "Love at Full Volume" also sticks in the head.

Faring worst:
"Hard Lies" just isn't a very interesting song, although it's obvious they wanted a "big" hook from the chorus sound. "Bigotry Man" is just a really bad lyric, ("You think you are better than them, you're not!") even though its topic isn't tackled all that often in metal. "Your Love Gives" cancels out the decent balladry of "Cryin' Over You" with sheer radio-ready pap. It sounds like a bad Journey song.

Bottom Line:
This one is worth having for any fan of Christian heavy metal, but wait to get it at a good price. If you're gonna spend the big collector's dollar amounts I've seen on BC's stuff, it's better invested on "Atomic Arena", then "Rock for the King". Wait to make this your 3rd BC purchase...

Great Cd To Listen To Its One Of My Favorite Christian Cd's To Listen To; I Do Recommend This To Others That Like Rock Cd's
Thank You
Tom

This album is a great buy if you like Bruce Dickinson singing style and Stryper like songs structures. Great songs with an even better message.