| Musical Style: Metal/Hard Rock | Produced By: |
| Record Label: Roxx Records | Country Of Origin: USA |
| Year Released: 2019 | Artist Website: |
| Tracks: 10 | Rating: 75% |
| Running Time: |
On occasion within hard music review circles, we encounter new bands that aren’t band but aren’t especially engaging either. This is more or less how we feel about Middletown, Ohio’s Weapons Of God and its summer of 2019 Roxx Records self-titled debut full length. Playing what it describes as ‘positive metal’, noting its faith based lyrical approach, but actually amalgamating equal parts traditional and melodic metal with suggestions of straightforward hard rock and even doom, Weapons Of God reflects its musical influences (as noted in its press material) in no uncertain terms: Kiss, Stryper, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Evergrey.
As with many young bands, Weapons Of God walks a fine line between ability and potential, and areas of improvement to deserve note. Songwriting at its best is technically solid and flashes of brilliance, but at times also lack the distinct hooks to separate and draw you in with repeat listen. Middle-register vocals exhibit a grainy and earthy (at times smooth sounding) touch, but also can fall flat in failing to exhibit the power and range often intrinsic to the genres at hand. Whereas by no means flawed, production would have benefits from a needed element of overall polish.
Said areas of improvement reveal on opening cuts “Are You Ready?” and “Call Your Name”. Former launches into a crescendo of drums prior to taking a high-energy classic metal turn, reveling in vim and youthful vigor while speaking of the group’s faith: ‘His name will reign forever, my Father, my Savior, Creator, Deliverer’. Latter is shorter of the two at three and a half minutes but also heavier with firmer guitar harmonies and lower register vocals for the hulking refrain. Outside of musical direction, commonality between the two is the lack of forthright hooks to allow them to stand apart (in similar sense as the better material attributable to Barren Cross and Saint). In other words, far from bad but not memorable either.
Better is “Glory And The Power” with its high-energy power metal bent to allow the weightier hooks to arise in the more candid manner. Invigorative refrain delivers the message in no-nonsense fashion: ‘Upon that cross He died for me, for my sins He sets me free, praise Him today’. That said, it is difficult to see beyond the obviously contrived song title. How many times within the various metal and hard rock genres, for instance, must song and album titles include the words ‘power’ and ‘glory’ before we draw a line in the sand and exclaim ‘enough already’!
Albums best song ensues in the incredible eight minute “Ghost”. With its bottom-heavy and atmospheric - almost doom-laden - signatures, it proves the perfect match for the low key and rumbling nature of the lead vocals. It flows hauntingly its distance, darkly tinctured and resonant to guitars ranging from calm and stilly done to those that make the added incisive statement, but distinctly hinting of melody and moody emotion. I am reminded somewhat of the lengthier material off Emerald’s Armed For Battle.
As “Ghost” fades out, “Heaven Can’t Wait” segues in to guitars hammering in and out of the mix. It proves a mid-paced slammer, relentless with its groove-laden underpinnings and driving ingredients to speak of the astringent if not outright caustic. The song, however, hits a wall for a refrain that attempts to be too melodic for its own good (backing vocals come across unnecessarily overdone). I do like lyrics: ‘Set your heart on the Truth, one who suffered and died for you, heaven can’t wait…’
Album brightens over its second half, beginning with “Simple Solution”. The song impresses with its divergences, interspersing its length between a mostly high-energy vibe to see double kick drum playing a predominant role and slower riffs of a hammering if not doom like nature. It works with its straightforward and no-nonsense ardor that while not the catchiest, it engages with its vitality all the same.
“Saving Grace” comes across in the form of a melodic metal ballad. Starting its first minute acoustically - and mirroring a smooth vocal touch - the song picks up at once to hard rocking guitars prior to moving on to the flowing refrain to make a statement of faith: ‘Oh, Jesus you are my saving grace, you are my Shining Light that guides me on my way’. Whereas a bit formula and predictable, “Saving Grace” represents a softer side to the Weapons Of God songwriting abilities.
Not so the aptly entitled “Anger”, a five and a half minute exclamation point reveling in trudging riffs and slogging momentum that hints of the doom like. The two-minute instrumental build up sets the perseverant tone as uproarious double kick drum and malicious bass take over, aligning with the soulful, down-tuned vocals as impetus further decelerates for the opening verses only to regain force for the every bit slogging refrain. This is Weapons Of God at its best.
The same applies to albums title track but in a faster and livelier six and a half minute form. The punchy hooks and semi-progressiveness remind of Barren Cross, particularly in terms of the Dickinson like wails at the start of the opening verses. Moving forward it comes across as a spiritual warfare themed anthem - ‘with the belt of truth wrapped around your waist, with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace’ - to reveal hard charging riff action not unlike classic Saint Track “The Choice” (off In The Battle from 2004). Any similarity I am sure is coincidental, but first time I heard the song I halfway expected Josh Kramer to step in and ask the listener: ‘You can choose to follow darkness, or you can choose to follow light…’. Final minute settles down to the sound of a thunderstorm…
…which segues into “Fade Away”, a lighter and atmospheric track to see quietly done acoustic guitar and ambient bass carry its introspective six minutes. An almost seventies bluesy classic rock feel manifests to the extent it would not sound out of place on an old Resurrection Band album (think Awaiting Your Reply or Rainbow’s End). Acoustic guitar over bluesy feedback carries things instrumentally. Weapons Of God are at its best when outside the box.
Inconsistent but brimming with potential is the feel I get from Weapons Of God and its self-titled debut. Specifically, what I hear are the growing pains atypical of a young band striving to discover its true sound and capture its prime form in the process, particulars that can take several albums to grow into. I find the group at its best when breaking outside the verse-chorus-verse mold and imbuing an progressive nuance to its traditional metal based sound, as revealed on “Ghost”, “Anger” , “Weapons Of God” and “Fade Way”. I hope this is the direction it takes on any follow up effort it records, which I anticipate revealing significant improvements in songwriting, production and performance.
Track Listing: “Are You Ready?” (5:24), “Call Your Name” (3:34), “Glory And The Power” (4:04), , “Ghost” (8:35), “Heaven Can’t Wait” (5:24), “Simple Solution” (4:17), “Saving Grace” (4:38), “Anger” (5:22), “Weapons Of God” (6:24), “Fade Away” (5:48)
Musicians
Steve McGowan – Guitars & Vocals
Leon Black – Guitar & Vocals
Ed Girard - Bass
Greg Alan - Drums
