Musical Style: Hard Rock	Produced By: Resurrection Band
Record Label: Star Song / Girder	Country Of Origin: USA
Year Released: 1978 / 2022	Artist Website: Resurrection Band
Tracks: 10	Rating: 80%
Running Time: 37:09

 

Although hard music historians often point to Stryper as the dawn of the current Christian hard music scene, its real origin - at least as far as those in the know is concerned - traces to the late seventies emergence of Resurrection Band.  Also known as Rez Band or just plain Rez, Resurrection Band got its start in 1971 when it came out of the Jesus Movement in Milwaukie, Wisconsin initially under the Charity moniker and played a mostly acoustic set.  After relocating to Chicago and becoming a musical outreach for the Jesus People USA community, the group went full-bore rock and roll within six months, but a change to a heavier musical direction prompted a stronger name.  Founding member and vocalist/guitarist Glenn Kaiser initially chose Resurrection, a moniker reflecting the fact Jesus is alive and risen and that God the Father literally raised his Son from the dead, which in time transitioned to Resurrection Band.

Resurrection Band first entered the studio in 1974 to record a pair of independent cassette releases that it gave away at its shows: All Your Life took a folk-based acoustic heading, while Music To Raise The Dead trended straightforward hard rock.  Fast forward four years and subsequent to an $8000 give from a friend and two weeks of marathon, all-night recording sessions, Resurrection Band completed work on its debut full length Awaiting Your Reply, which it released in 1978 via Star Song Records.  By late seventies standards Awaiting Your Reply might have been considered ‘heavy metal’ but in today’s hard music climate would fall under a heading of hard rock and blues rock reflective of its influences at the time: Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Jefferson Airplane and Aerosmith.

In terms of legacy, Awaiting Your Reply has stood the test of time in the eyes of fans and critics alike.  It placed a respectable 32nd in a blog counting down the 100 Greatest CCM Albums of the 70’s and 134th in another blog listing the 500 Best Contemporary Christian albums of all time.  Angelic Warlord even got in on the act and rated it 6th in an article ranking the best Resurrection Band albums.  Blogs and articles aside, the true legacy of Awaiting Your Reply resides in how it - along with albums released by other pioneering bands of the time in Jerusalem, Petra, Daniel Band and Barnabas - helped pave the way for the commercial success of the aforementioned Stryper not to mention profusion of ‘white metal’ bands to follow in its wake.

Awaiting Your Reply initially was first re-issued on CD by Star Song Records in 1991 as a ‘2-for-1’ to also include 1979 sophomore effort Rainbow’s End and a second time in 2002 on Grrr Records as a stand alone release.  A third re-issue on Girder Music from the spring of 2022 tops them all with its fine attention to detail.

Packaging (crediting to Scott Waters of No Life Til Metal Graphics) lovingly stays true to the band photos in addition to lyrics and liner notes to the original vinyl release.  Re-mastering (noting work of Rob Colwell of Bombworks Sound) brings the album up to modern standards or at the very least significantly tops the Star Song 2-for-1, which sounds as if mastered from a flat, muffled and fluttery cassette copy.  In terms of specifics, Girder re-mastering allows for a much-needed dose of polish to realize a bigger drum proclivity, better-rounded guitars and cleaner mix to vocals. 

Few albums have an opening unmistakable as Awaiting Your Reply, with its DJ voice over intro - ‘that was The Archies with “Sugar Sugar” just makes you wanna cry don’t it - so hang in there as we play some music by Resurrection Band, how did this get in the stacks, we’ll here’s hoping’ - to lead into opening vocal track “Waves”.

Immediately cutting in to bouncing rhythms and guitars dashing in and out of the mix, “Waves” serves to introduce the vocal tandem of Glenn (gritty and gravelly style) - ‘we see wave after wave of people in the street, playing their songs but missing the beat’ and Wendi Kaiser (soulful) - ‘people, oh, people why can’t you understand, fools with no disguises and love so close at hand’.  Rugged lead guitar and harmonica interspersed throughout set the stage for the bluesy hard rock themes to follow.

Albums title track ensues as a doom metal monster.  With Wendi vocally leading the way, “Awaiting Your Reply” rates among the all time classic Resurrection Band cuts, trampling with an incessant guitar mentality to touch upon the bruising (albeit not crossing the threshold of heavy handed) but also accessible in terms of a curt refrain to immediately draw in (understated in terms of catchiness).  John Herrin’s buffeting drums set the militant backbone.  Lyric snippet:

So I called Him up, asked for Him by name
He passed me the ticket, and I boarded the plane
We pulled out onto the airport runway
We began to climb as the whole world exploded
I'd just asked Him for His lifeline

The blood, the blood of Jesus is His lifeline

Seven minute “Broken Promises” reveals some progressive rock vestiges.  It moves forward relaxed and laid back to piano and amiable guitars mixed with synthesizers as Glenn takes over with its complementary scratchy vocals, gradually building over its first minute and a half to set the emotional tone its remaining distance but periodically breaking out in heavier rocking fashion. Despite its length, I have never found “Broken Promises” to wear out its welcome or turn into a trite listen.  Lyric snippet:

Son of God, where are you now?
Do you feel my need?
Oh, I’m lost within this forest, barricaded by the trees,
Will your hear my cry for help?
Would you forgive me?
I’m so far away, I’ve run so far away.

Lord, help me to follow you,
Jesus, I’m gonna follow you,
I give my whole life to you,
Jesus, I’m gonna follow you

“Golden Road” touches upon some psychedelic classic rock nuances in also featuring Glenn vocally.  The song begins to a jangly open-air acoustic guitar solo prior to slowly gaining impetus, with the rhythm section joining the astute scene a minute in and helping lead the upbeat subsequent way.  Following a passage returning to an acoustic direction, rhythm guitar briefly crashes in to allow a heavier rocking statement.  Lyric snippet:

I turned away from God and His love, and I worshipped myself
The idols that I'd built, all crumbled on my shelf, they all crumbled on my shelf
But all along I realized
That if I had to, if I had to choose
Between love an' my own sweet lies
Love was bound to lose, yeah, love was bound to lose

They told me about a broken road paved with death and shame
I thought I'd try to find it... get away from playing the game
I finally realized the price He paid for changes I've gone though

Side two opening cut “Lightshine” brings the type of distorted guitar edge to cross the metal threshold.  It resonates a brilliant straightforward simplicity without coming across simplistic, home to driving rhythms and attitude laden demeanor that has acerbic (in a positive sense) written all over it.  Glenn along with lead guitarist Stu Heiss exhibits their pointed abilities, while Wendi makes her albums last appearance with lightly done backing vocals for the refrain.  Lyric snippet:

I used to sit and wonder where I was going
I used to wonder where it would be, yeah, yeah
When the curtain fell... when the curtain fell and time caught up with me
Have you heard the satanic symphony?
Have you realized that conductor runs you too, unless you know Jesus?
Oh, when the Father calls, do you stall and stall
Or will you search for the key and receive the truth?

But if your yoke is easy, then your burden is light, (light, light...)
We can take it one day at a time
Oh Lord, if you change my heart and you change my life,
That will surely change my mind

“Ananias & Sapphira”, composed and fronted by bassist Jim Denton, comes across in the form of bluesy acoustic rock.  No, not a bad song, but perhaps it is the hard rocker in me, but I find it least remarkable of the albums tracks.

Album revisits some of its doom-ish ways with “Death Of The Dying”.  A dark and ominous tinge manifests, as a discordant opening home to cavernous bass and off kilter voices abruptly gives way to menacing guitars as Glenn makes a weighty vocal statement.  Along with “Lightshine”, this is the second cut here to potentially approach all out metal (by today’s standards).  Lyric snippet:

And in the finale, clutched tightly by pain, their glass house is shattered,
Weeds bent in the rain,
With a "Why?" in the mind and a curse on the tongue,
Death bellowing hungrily, shadows on sun.

They pass into all that they have ever sown,
Forsaking the answer, abdicating the throne,
If only they'd followed when Christ called and walked on,
They'd have silenced the madness in the narrow road home.

“Irish Garden” takes a similar psychedelic bent as “Golden Road” but with the consistently heavier rocking edge.  It also begins instrumentally as acoustic guitar and keyboards give way to galvanic guitars, holding to a plainspoken edge its distance, albeit occasionally returning to the calmer form at the start.  Keyboards carry things instrumentally.  Lyric snippet:

Olden days gone by, it was no so then,
Time to play, sing and dance in his holy land,
Why did I hide from you, with the serpent at my heel?
I'm sorry for the way I must have made you feel, must have made you feel.

Humble us to seek you, Father,
Heal our land so lost in sin,
Draw us from the bitter water to the garden once again.

“The Return” closes things in bluesy fashion as eloquent keyboards and expressive low end lead the placid way to Glenn’s consummate gravelly but emotionally vocal presence.  Saxophone, courtesy of Kenny Soderblom, adorns one of the albums mellower but better tracks.  Lyric snippet:

I know it won't be long until the Savior comes,
Oh, and if you're weary, weary, keep on praying,
Sometimes we do get down with no one else around,
But in those quiet times, He whispers, "You are mine and I love you,"
Sometimes we know we're wrong and we feel so far from home,
But if you'll listen, you'll hear his gentle voice saying, "You belong."

The first Christian metal album might be open to debate (I lean towards early eighties releases from Stronghold and Barnabas, Fortress Rock and Approaching Light Speed, respectfully) but Awaiting Your Reply leaves little doubt with its front to back hard rocking proclivity.  It has stood the test of time in musically representing the late seventies period in which it came out of: at times hard rock (even borderline metal) and others bluesy and even derivative of classic rock.  Give credit to Resurrection Band accordingly in creating a relevant work that helped blaze the trail for a Christian hard music scene that remains vibrant to this day.  Likewise, kudos to Girder Music for a much needed and long overdue high quality re-release to Awaiting Your Reply.

Review by Andrew Rockwell

Track Listing: " Waves" (2:54), "Awaiting Your Reply" (4:06), "Broken Promises" (6:56), "Golden Road" (4:56), "Lightshine" (5:20), "Ananias and Sapphira" (2:50), "Death Of The Dying" (3:18), "Irish Garden" (4:52), "The Return" (3:52)

Musicians
Glenn Kaiser – Lead Vocals, Guitars & Dulcimer
Wendi Kaiser – Lead Vocals
Stu Heiss – Guitars & Keyboards
Jim Denton – Bass, Acoustic Guitar & Lead Vocals
John Herrin – Drums
Tom Cameron - Harmonica

Guest Musicians
Kenny Soderblom – Saxophone & Flutes
Roger Heiss - Percussion