Musical Style: Hard Rock	Produced By: Resurrection Band
Record Label: Sparrow / Girder Music	Country Of Origin: USA
Year Released: 1984 / 2022	Artist Website:
Tracks: 11	Rating: 75%
Running Time: 41:04

I rate 1984 Sparrow Records sixth Rez Band (a.k.a., Resurrection Band, REZ) album Hostage above Light Records 1982 predecessor D.M.Z. and below 1985 follow up effort Between Heaven ‘N Hell (also Sparrow).  D.M.Z. might have featured its share of all time great Rez Band songs in “Military Man”, “No Alibi” and “White Noise” but also suffered from lack of musical depth - a few too many skip buttons and deep cut filler tracks (in my opinion) - and muddy production.  Between Heaven ‘N Hell represented a step up with higher levels of musical consistency - encompassing one of the finest track listings of the mid-period Rez Band era (again, my opinion) - and upgraded production.

Hostage falls somewhere between the two in that while not quite reaching the musical heights to Between Heaven ‘N Hell, it presents with a stronger selection of songs than D.M.Z. while also upping production values.  Continuity is also a key factor in that Hostage found Rez Band returning to a more consistently heavier sound that hearkened back to earlier albums Rainbow’s End (1979) and Colours (1980) as opposed to the more varied leanings to Mommy Don’t Love Daddy Anymore (1981) and aforementioned D.M.Z.  That said the album also saw Rez Band starting to experiment with an enigmatic techno/wave keyboard sound that potentially alienated its long-term fan base, not to mention failing to play to the groups signature blues based hard rock strengths.

Whereas not released on CD back in the day, Hostage saw re-issue on CD by Girder Music in March of 2022.  Enhanced cover art and finely detailed mini-booklet with easy to ready lyrics and liner notes transcribed from the original vinyl release attributes to Scott Waters of No Life Til Metal Graphics.  Rob Colwell of Bombworks Sound handles re-mastering to bring the album up to moderns standards (I do not have a copy of the 1999 Grrr Records CD re-issue to offer comparison).

Opener “S.O.S.” mirrors said keyboard laden techno/wave direction in question.  Musically attributing to bassist Jim Denton, song entices with its standout melody but also leaves you scratching your head due to not being more of a departure from the guitar-based hard rock Rez Band has gained renown.  Yes, Glenn Kaiser impresses as always with his gritty vocal qualities but one cannot help but feel “S.O.S.” might have stood out further if accented by a rhythm guitar track or very least a guitar solo.

“Attention”, first of three consecutive hard rockers, is a better representation of what the group does best.  With Wendi Kaiser’s raw and raspy vocals leading the way, song bulldozes with its furrowing riffs and John Herrin’s jostling drums but fails to forsake accessibility from the catchy hooks to entice at once.  The cleanly mixed (and very brazen) lead guitar of Stu Heiss attributes to albums clean production and quality re-mastering.  Lyric snippet:

A trillion stars and planets were born at His command
The keys to life and judgment are held within His hand
Demons cringe and tremble, they fear to hear His Name
The rise and fall of kingdom is left within His wake

Lightning flashes round His hand, the veil is torn in two
Nothing can resist His power, even death is doomed
And yet He stoops to shelter those who call His Name
That is why He suffered, and that is why He came

Glenn has traditionally played a lead songwriting role with Rez Band but on Hostage contributes music to just one song, “Souls For Hire”.  It is a good one nonetheless, with a bluesy hard rock veneer in shuffling at a spoiling mid-paced clip as Denton’s punchy bass sets the melodic tone and granular guitars align with the roughly hewn scene.  Song would sound at home on any early Rez Band album.

“Defective Youth” is another barnburner in exuding one of group’s fastest tempos since “First Degree Apathy” off Mommy Don’t Love Daddy Anymore.  It storms at once, tempestuous with its opening drum solo ensued by carving riffs in exuding an almost punk-ish vibe as Glenn sings with guts and fury to further elevate the splitting hooks.  This is classic Rez Band at its finest.  Lyric snippet:

My heart is at the North Pole
Needs moral antifreeze
Church people pushing answers
You want me on my knees

You say He's the solution
You tell me you got love
I say you gotta prove it
When push comes to shove  

Defective youth- why won't you listen

Not so “Who’s Real Anymore” to see keyboards make a cameo appearance and not in a positive sense.  What we have is a quirky techno rocker in which the programmed drums and dance rhythms cannot help but force you to hit the skip button or at very least question if this is the Rez Band we have grown to value and appreciate.  Likewise, minute and half “Armageddon Appetite” is potentially the worst song every recorded by Rez Band (if you want to call it a song), while moving forward in the track listing two minute pop infused “It’s You” is not much better (although I like the saxophone solo).

“Beyond The Gun” also uses keyboards but within a more effective rock context, referencing the lightly done rhythm guitar and acoustic signatures to further build upon the prevalent melody.  Feel is upbeat as bass reflects the lively and Glenn’s vocals align with persuasive scene.  In my opinion, what we have is one of the groups most underrated and overlooked songs.

“Crimes” is another brazen Wendi fronted hard rocker.  I identify with it as a companion track to “Attention” from bringing similar levels of stark (at times darkly woven) aggression and unequivocal (to the point of undeniable) hooks.  A quieter passage at the halfway mark gives way to another brusque stretch of Heiss’ lead guitar.  Lyric snippet:

It don't matter what they taught you
When you're unemployed
Feelin' restless and ripped off
And you know you're annoyed

I got a new piece of news for you
You can get bailed out
God can change your criminal heart
That's what love's about

Any discussion involving the best Rez Band songs often begins with “Where Roses Grow” (Innocent Blood from 1989) or “Shadows” (Between Heaven ‘N Hell), although I gravitate to older cuts such as “American Dream” (Colours) or “The Chair” (Mommy Don’t Love Daddy Anymore).  One overlooked gem deserving equal merit is “Tears In The Rain”, a six-minute bluesy hard rock beauty overridden with impassioned rhythms and every bit moving vocals to give prominence to a classic rock resonance.  No, not Rez Band’s heaviest but finesse filled and alluring all the same, not to mention one of the brighter spots on a maddeningly inconsistent album.

“Walk Away” closes things in darkly woven and moving melodic rock fashion, drifting its span between slowly moving moments calmly flowing to acoustic guitar and others in which momentum abruptly picks up to an added upbeat direction.  Keyboards end up employed but effectively from how they flatter without distracting, while electric guitar does not kick in until the instrumental moments.  Lyric snippet:

Every time we walk away
We walk away from You
No chance in a million years
When we walk away from You
Why do we turn to go
Why do we walk away from You
Every time we live that way
We walk away from You

Every time we're lost out there
We've walked away from You
Every time we're lonely
Oh, we've walked away from You

Hostage exhibits significant promise and potential as a mid-period Rez Band album but ultimately falls short in key areas of musical continuity and consistency.  Several questions cannot help but be asked in the process: is Rez Band at this point in its career a blues based hard rock act or a techno/wave group?  Yes, “Attention”, “Defective You”, “Tears In The Rain” and other heavy rockers are great, but you also are forced to question the creditability of any album with songs such as “Who’s Real Anymore”, It’s You” and “Armageddon Appetite”.    Some more direction and focus here - which would not rear its head until Between Heaven ‘N Hell - would have proven beneficial.  That said it cannot be denied albums excellent production, which is further enhanced by the Girder re-mastering.  If interested in a highly upgraded version to Hostage then make the Girder re-issue a priority purchase.

Review by Andrew Rockwell 

Track Listing: “S.O.S.” (4:03), “Attention” (3:45), “Souls For Hire” (3:30), “Defective Youth” (2:57), “Who’s Real Anymore” (4:06), “Armageddon Appetite (1:26), “Beyond The Gun” (4:20), “Crimes” (3:38), “It’s You” (2:02), “Tears In The Rain” (6:00), “Walk Away” (4:50)

Musicians
Glenn Kaiser - Lead Vocals & Guitars
Wendi Kaiser - Lead Vocals
Stu Heiss - Guitars & Keyboards
Jim Denton - Bass, Keyboards & Guitars
John Herrin - Drums

Additional Musicians
Steve Eisen - Saxophone