| Musical Style: Heavy Metal | Produced By: |
| Record Label: Medusa / Retroactive | Country Of Origin: USA |
| Year Released: 1990 / 2020 | Artist Website: Barren Cross |
| Tracks: 14 | Rating: No Quote |
| Running Time: 73:36 |
Fourth Barren Cross album Hotter Than Hell! Live from 1990, like most live albums, is a frustrating mix of good and bad. Let’s get the bad out of the way first. My beef with live albums - and this is not exclusive to just Hotter Than Hell! Live - is the manner in which record labels pare them down by cutting key tracks, band member introductions, soloing sections, banter with the audience, etc in order that they might fit within the confines of a single 80-minute CD. The double live album to capture the better part of a bands performance, as a result, has been dying a slow and painful death.
Hotter Than Hell! Live, originally released on Medusa Records but re-mastered and re-issued on Retroactive Records in the spring of 2020, proves no exception with its 73 minute running time. Despite capturing Barren Cross in prime form at the International Ballroom in Pico Rivera, California nearing the end of the Atomic Arena tour, the album impresses as incomplete or half-done as if significant portions of the band performance ended up on the cutting room floor. Did Barren Cross really only play for 73 minutes? Why not make it a double CD and include the bands entire performance instead?
Now that we have that out of the way, good far outweighs the bad!
It begins with production, which skirts the unnecessary polish often afforded live album, which in many instances end up doctored on the back end to such extent they come across as greatest hits packages backed by an accompanying audience track. Not so Hotter Than Hell! Live by giving rise to production on the raw side (in a positive sense) does a supreme job depicting the high-energy live Barren Cross sound. Yes, a bit rough around the edges (again, by no means a complaint) but also in the process factoring out some of the gloss to the Elefante production to the live track from not just Atomic Arena but also predecessor Rock For The King.
What I appreciate about the re-mastering to the Retroactive re-issue, noting the work of Rob Colwell of Bombworks Sound, is how it lends an element of refinement that while enhancing details such as bass, keyboards and rhythm guitar does not take away from the groups energy in the process. Also of note to the re-issue is packaging, which improves upon the simple fold out insert to the Medusa release with a multi-page booklet (credited to Scott Waters of No Life Til Metal Graphics) including lyrics to each track, vintage band photos and scans of concert flyers and magazine covers.
Best part, however, is track listing to represent a choice selection of material from Atomic Arena and Rock For The King!
Album opens to one of my favorite Atomic Arena cuts “Imaginary Music”, with an emcee introduction - ‘they are nearing the end of the Atomic Arena tour right now, tonight this is a live recording’ - giving way to the same commercial vestiges but within a superior metal edged guitar framework. Also shining within a live setting are other top Atomic Arena cuts “Dead Lock”, darker than the studio version but with added keyboards and double bass, and “Close To The Edge”, conspicuous to resonant bass and added bluesy slant to guitar soloing. Share by the two is the same catchy hook basis.
One of my live album pet peeves is when a band performs its material live no differently than in the studio. Not so Barren Cross, whom extends monster metal piece “In The Eye Of The Fire” past six and a half minutes with a mid-point instrumental break to feature a lengthy open-air bass solo from Jim LaVerde. Likewise, a closing acoustic guitar solo carries worship hard rocker “King Of Kings” to nearly six minutes, while a drum solo from Steve Whitaker’s graces the end of “Terrorist Child”, which improves live with the more distinct rhythm guitar presence.
Guitarist Ray Parris gets in on the act as well, particularly on previously unreleased classical instrumental “Opus To The Third Heaven” to find him exhibiting a poignant if not bluesy side to his playing, as opposed to the twelve-finger shredder style of which he is renowned. Beautiful song of which is worth the price of the album alone.
Another live album pet peeve is those to include little if any dialogue between the band and audience. Again, not so Barren Cross, whom introduce speed metal romper “Killers Of The Unborn” with vocalist Mike Lee announcing how it was written from ‘the viewpoint of an infant inside of a mothers womb’ “Going Nowhere”, also of the brisk tempo, closes with an important anti drug message: ‘a good life drug free’ in the bands own words. Finally, Lee ends the show by going into detail about what the band stands for (in terms of its faith) and meaning behind its lyrics (from standpoint of being socially conscious).
Rock For The King material is also home to its share of choice moments. My favorites include “Give Your Life”, with its shred guitar solo opening and hyper accelerated ‘give your life to Jesus’ refrain, and “Dying Day’, still power metal infused but faster in coming across that much more intimidating live. Metal anthem “Rock For The King” and acoustic based “Light The Flame” do not stray far from their studio equivalents but they do not have to in that they are both great songs.
Second new track “King Jesus & Blues Jam” is a cool bluesy hard rocker with a worshipful disposition and ample doses of Parris’ blinding leads. A fun song to listen that translates well live, but I also cannot think classic Barren Cross tracks “Cultic Regimes”, “Living Dead” and “He Loves You” might have worked better in its place. Note that live versions to the three appear as bonus tracks on the remixed Medusa re-issue to Rock For The King from 1990. No, I cannot prove that they are part of the same show, although they sound as if when listened to alongside, but it supports my theory Barren Cross had more than enough material - can you say missing RFTK tracks “Believe” and “Just A Touch? - to turn Hotter Than Hell! Live into a double live album.
Still, Hotter Than Hell! Live has a great deal to offer as a live album when factoring not just production and track listing but also from how it has that ‘live feel’ with extended soloing sections and dialogue between the band and audience, whom are placed well within the mix. Retroactive re-issue improves upon these factors in light of the enhanced re-mastering and professionally done packaging. If you have already obtained the Retroactive re-issues to Atomic Arena and third Barren Cross album State Of Control, then I encourage you to also get the Hotter Than Hell! Live re-issue to round out your collection.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: "Imaginary Music" (5:30), "Dying Day" (4:01), "Killers of the Unborn" (3:22), "Close to the Edge" (4:56), "Going Nowhere" (4:53), "Dead Lock" (4:11), "Opus to the Third Heaven" (4:21), "King of Kings" (6:45), "In the Eye of the Fire" (6:52), "Rock for the King" (5:25), "Light the Flame" (7:40), "Terrorist Child" (6:13), "King Jesus and Blues Jam" (4:24), "Give Your Life" (5:06)
Musicians
Mike Lee - Lead Vocals & Acoustic Guitar
Ray Parris - Guitars
Jim LaVerde - Bass
Steve Whitaker - Drums
Guest Musicians
Christine Whitaker - Keyboards
Guitars - Vince Mendoza
