...review is now up at www.christianmetalrealm.com!



Arttie

thanks arttie

Excellent review. Well thought out and includes all the needed details.

Great review, Arttie.

Why, thankee!



Arttie

This band sounds interesting, what would be a good cd/album for a first listen of this band? I'm been trying to find some new christian music. I'm not sure I can get the Best Of cd/album off iTunes or any other download site right now.

Soundtrack Of A Soul would be your best bet if you are looking for the most "names".... Killer disc. I'll try to put up the review I wrote for that one later tonight.


Arttie

Thanks!

Here are my reviews for Soundtrack of a Soul...


Liberty N Justice brainchild, guitar player, bass player, songwriter, and for all intents and purposes, only member, Justin Murr has a flair for the dramatic. Rather than just writing and recording a nice little record for his fans to enjoy, Murr goes out and enlists a literal Who’s Who of the hard rock and heavy metal world for his latest release. Following in the footsteps of the band’s last release "Welcome To The Revolution", Liberty N Justice has forged a bigger sound with stronger songs and much more impressive vocal performances on "Soundtrack Of A Soul". There are no songs on "Soundtrack…" that make me impulsively (and/or COMPULSIVELY) reach for the skip button on my CD player, which was a definite drawback for me on "…Revolution"! Things start off with a quirky intro from the movie School Of Rock…and then rock is what this disc does best! It was like a flashback to some of the best bands of the 80’s, but with a touch of the modern in both the music, production, and writing. That is not to say this is a nu-metal disc or any such hybrid. No sir. What you get with "Soundtrack Of A Soul" is great melodic hard rock from start to finish. As a fan and follower of the Christian metal scene, several of these names are more familiar to me than they might be to the Average Joe, but that should not reflect negatively on the performances, as many of the best songs are pulled off by the least-known singers here. It is tough to pick a single stand-out track as being representative of the entire project, as each song has its own feel and vibe, yet all meld together into a solid, flowing project, which is a credit to the strong songwriting here. If I were forced to pick a couple of favorites, Ratt vocalist Stephen Pearcey’s "Killer Grin" would be one that I instantly tagged as a favorite for me. Another would be the incredible pairing of Mark Slaughter and Trixter’s Pete Loran on the stellar "Thy Will Be Done". This track, to me, has everything that likely would have vaulted it to the charts if it had been released in 1986 rather than 2006.

Other standout cuts include Jamie Rowe’s track "Malice In Wonderland", which is a great piece of music, and Leif Garrett (yes, THAT Leif Garrett) might turn in the surprise performance of the disc with "Sight Unseen". Josh Kramer of Christian-metallers Saint proves that he is far more than a screaming Rob Halford clone, as he sings with heartfelt passion on the mid-tempo ballad "Up That Hill". Kramer delivers a strong punch on a song which features some of the best lyrics of the entire project, and is one that I think a lot of people will find themselves relating to. Tony Harnell of TNT and Starbreaker has probably the most modern sounding song on the disc with "Flinch", and Trans-Siberian Orchestra vocalist Joe Cerisano carries the load on the biggest ballad of the disc with "If The World Could Be Mine". Oni Logan of Lynch Mob also does a very credible job on his track "Show Me The Way", as does Prophet’s Russell Arcara on "State Of Grace".

So does this mean that this project is an absolute homerun from beginning to end? No, but in keeping with the baseball terminology, it is definitely a triple. There are a few minor problems for me, but nothing that destroys the album by any means. Most notably, the spoof track "Surreal" which features Whitecross vocalist Scott Wenzel, is something I find to be an annoyance that disrupts the overall flow. I was somewhat disappointed in Mike Lee’s contribution, as I have heard him turn in far superior performances on his band’s ballads. It is not horrible by any means, but as a huge Barren Cross fan, I guess I was just hoping to get one more killer, gritty vocal performance from a man who is something of a legend in the Christian metal world. Sebastian Bach turns in a similar performance; not horrible at all, but his vocal chords show some wear and tear, at least to my ears, on the otherwise very strong "Another Nail". Finally, the song "Grenade" sticks out like a sore thumb, in my opinion. Contributed by the brothers Bride, Troy and Dale Thompson, this is again not a bad song, and one that has Bride written all over it syle-wise, but it just doesn’t flow with the rest of the project in my opinion. I think it might have worked better if "Grenade" were more towards the end of the project, or even plugged in right behind the catchy opening song "Kings Of Hollywood" by Jet Circus front man Ez Gomer.

The outro is a message from Justin about the importance of Christ and the Bible in our lives, which I think is a solid touch here. I have read some people bagging on this as "preachy" and unnecessary, but this is a Christian project and the message is far more important than the music. In fact, as an overall project, if even a handful of people find their Savior because of what Justin and his all-star lineup put forth, then this disc is a huge success, in my opinion. By the way, Justin takes a good-natured stab at himself at the end of the closing "outro" track that is hilarious to those of us who needled him about a couple of songs on his "Welcome To The Revolution" project…but I will leave the surprise for you to enjoy and laugh at.

It should be noted, by the way, that the "band" is complimented on various songs by such luminaries of the metal world as Mikkey Dee (Motorhead),Tim Gaines (Stryper), Keri Kelli (Ratt), Tommy Denander (Radioactive), Harry Hess (Harem Scarem), Tim Bushong (Lovewar), John "JD" DeServio (Black Label Society), and Charlie Calv (Shotgun Symphony), and the musical performance are as strong as the top-notch vocals that were turned in.

Overall, this is an incredibly solid project and one that anyone who is a fan of the 80’s hard rock singers, or of melodic hard rock in general, will surely enjoy. Justin deserves a lot of credit for delivering what his fans have been asking for, and I hope that this project leads to still another follow-up in the not too distant future.




Arttie

...and for Independence Day...

What LnJ started in 2004 with “Welcome To The Revolution”, and continued in 2006 with “Soundtrack of a Soul”, he continues in 2007 with “Independence Day”. On this newest effort, Liberty N Justice changes things up just a bit, joining the host of artists who have decided to put together and acoustic rock album. However, “Independence Day” is not a career retrospective done in a slightly different fashion simply to sell a
couple of extra albums (Bon Jovi, anyone?), or regurgitated and sadly
watered-down hits done without electricity (such as the VH1 “Stripped“
set of discs). “Independence Day” is an album full of new songs for
this group of musicians, and is done to show another side of the
project.

Rockers, rest easy. This is not an acoustic album in the fully unplugged, almost folk rock sense. There are still lead guitar solos, they just aren’t chock full of distortion; there are still a few effects thrown into the mix, but there is not layer upon layer of keyboards or processed backing vocals. Rather, what you have here is raw, stripped, gritty hard rock, drenched in soul and the blues, and tinged with a southern rock approach in places. And much like its predecessor, “Soundtrack of a Soul”, while this album does
have its minor hiccups, it is an excellent example of not only the vision of group leader Murr, but also of the true talents of all involved.

As has become the LnJ trademark, “Independence Day” is bursting at the seams with big name talent, not only vocally, but behind the scenes as well. Recording/engineering star Mike Layne returns, also adding his talents on guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and backing vocals. Mark and Shannon Hovland (Hovland) do much the same, contributing in virtually every musical area possible. Jack Frost (Savatage/Seven Witches) and Nikki Damage (Line Of Fire), along with several others, lend their talents on guitar, and EZ Gomer (Jet Circus) also jumps in on bass. Even the list of engineers on this project is impressive, with such notables as Keri Kelli (Warrant/LA Guns/Pretty Boy Floyd), Don Webster (Neon Cross), and Kelly Keagey (Night Ranger) all contributing.

But let’s face it...it’s the all-star cast of vocalists that draws most people in, and in this area “Independence Day” does not disappoint. Returning alums such as Mark Slaughter (Slaughter), Pete Loran (Trixter), EZ Gomer (Jet Circus), Ted Poley (Danger Danger), and Jamie Rowe (Guardian/Adrian Gale), join newcomers to the LnJ fold, such as Jack Russell (Great White), Shawn Pelata (Line Of Fire), John Corabi (Motley Crue/Ratt/The Scream), Jani Lane
(Warrant), and Jamie St. James (Black N Blue/Warrant). Several other
new vocalists contribute as well, including David Raymond Reeves (Neon
Cross), Tony Mills (Shy/TNT), and both Kelly Keagey of Night Ranger and
Kelly Keeling of Baton Rouge.

For me, the highlight of the disc is tough to declare. Certainly up for consideration has to be Jack Russell on “Monkey Dance”. As a huge Great White fan, I have practically been begging Justin to get Jack on a Liberty N Justice disc, and he obliged in a big way. Jack’s smoky, blues-heavy voice
lends itself especially well to a setting such as this. The infectious chorus wedges its way into your brain and seats itself there for the long haul (just ask my wife!), and Jack really gives the listener a sense that he knows something about the subject matter here (addiction and sin controlling your life).

“Snake Eat Snake” featuring David Raymond Reeves of Neon Cross is another standout. Again, befitting the tone of the record, David slides into a lower register here, sounding closer in tone to the songs on the “Torn” release than anything on the band’s debut. The song has a hard southern rock feel to it...almost an acoustic Charlie Daniels Band type of feel (his southern
stuff, not country).

Yet another stand-out cut to these ears is “Soldier” featuring Kelly Keagey of Night Ranger and Mark Slaughter. The pair sound like they have been singing together for years, and Slaughter sounds especially strong here. Again, much like with Reeves, don’t expect to hear Slaughter ripping his vocal cords to shreds with piercing highs, but do anticipate a much more laid back, controlled delivery that I think suits his voice very well. A strong chorus along with a throwback to childhood innocence lyrical feel make this track one of my favorites.

The “other” Kelly might surprise a lot of people here. Kelly Keeling of Baton Rouge sounds nothing like the vocalist he was as the leader of that hair metal band. On this remake of the classic Whiteheart tune "Independence Day", Keeling has a much more laid back sound and approach, letting more huskiness creep into his delivery and adding a more soulful feel that he did on much of Baton Rouge’s material.

Jamie Rowe, who is a mainstay of the LnJ projects, finds himself sounding
very much at home here. Anyone who has heard Rowe’s performance on the
“Swing, Swang, Swung” acoustic offering from his old band Guardian
knows that Jamie can wrap his unique voice around a solid song and make
it his own. He does exactly that here on the superb “Fade”. Sporting
one of the strongest hooks and catchiest choruses on the disc (along
with “Soldier” and “Monkey Dance”) this track really brings everything
together and ties it all up for me. If I was forced to give just a single track to a potential buyer to highlight what this project is about, Rowe’s “Fade” would likely be that track.

“My Sacrifice” was a pleasant surprise for me as well, for much the same
reasons as mentioned with Reeves and Slaughter. I am so used to hearing
Shawn Pelata (Line Of Fire/K-Octave) really elevate his voice in both
pitch and force of delivery that to hear him back off a bit and sing in a lower register with a much more somber delivery was very special treat. I‘m not sure if Shawn picked the track himself, or if it was assigned to him, but it was definitely a great choice and one that showcased an under-appreciated talent.

As far as the dueling Warrant vocalists contributions, both “classic-Warrant” frontman Jani Lane, and “new-Warrant” vocalist Jamie St. James (also of Black N Blue fame) do credible jobs with their chosen material. Lane might pull off the performance award on this disc, not necessarily because of the
vocals themselves, but more with the sincerity with which he seems to
deliver the lyrics to “Addiction”. The listener really gets the feel that Lane is putting himself into this song, perhaps almost therapeutically. Always stronger on Warrant’s more soulful, bluesier material than the anthemic rockers, Lane sounds very much at home here.


St. James, meanwhile, does a stellar job with the romp-n-stomp “Bullet, Train, Breakdown”. In fact, I think St. James sounds stronger here than he ever has with Warrant, and better than he has sounded since the “In Heat” days of Black N Blue. He appears to have a full grasp on how he thinks this song should be delivered and he attacks it, especially in the gritty chorus. Perhaps this style is one St. James might consider fully exploring were to ever venture out solo once again.

On the very small downside here, I think that Tony Mills has sounded stronger. His work with Shy/Shy England showed us a much more powerful vocalist than the one on display here. I‘m not sure if the more acoustic setting set him a bit back here, or if perhaps I was just expecting more from the man who now fronts TNT. I don‘t fault the song, as I think the song is very good, and it is possible that in time the song and Mills’ performance will grow on me.

One track I simply can not seem to get past, however, is “Remember Me” by EZ Gomer of Jet Circus. With its quirky intro and strange, almost spacey
vibe, I am not sure what to think about the structure of this song or
about how Gomer’s voice works in this setting. The song just sticks out
like a sore thumb to me, and is really the only thing that keeps me
from just putting this disc on random/repeat in my CD player and then
letting it go endlessly. In all honesty, after the first half-dozen listens or so, I have found the skip button a necessity here.

Other contributions include John Corabi (ex-Motley Crue/The Scream/Union/Ratt) on “Doubting Thomas“, Pete Loran of Trixter on
“Phoenix“ and the husband and wife duo Hovland adding closing track “A
Little Bit Of Love”. While none of these three is a bad performance,
they all have more of a “filler track” feel to me. This was especially
surprising to me with Corabi’s contribution as it is the lead track of the disc. I know the man can sing, but I never felt he really let loose here, which was disappointing for me. All are certainly worthy of listening to, but none would find their way onto “The Best Of Liberty N Justice”, at least for me.

As far as packaging goes, I have the pre-release/promo-release version of the album, not the full retail version. That being said, the artwork, provided by Rexorcist, is simplistic yet powerful. Drawing on the obvious patriotic theme of the title, the “Independence Day” cover is dark, yet not negative in feel. Stark contrasts in color between the bursting reds and oranges of the heavens above the much darker backdrop of the Statue Of Liberty really
catch the eye and draw the viewer‘s attention. I am anxious to see the
full layout, which I have been told includes a multiple page booklet with full liner notes, credits, lyrics, and a much glossier look than that of the promo.

Overall, I find myself enjoying this CD a lot, even after literally dozens of listens now. Its not often that a project such as this becomes a long-term player for me, as rarely is a normally “electric” artist able to convince me that they fit and feel comfortable in an acoustic setting. The vast majority of the singers here do not have that problem, however, and some almost seem more at home with this style than they do their current surroundings. I don’t foresee the eject button coming into use with “Independence Day” in the near future. Not a fan of ratings systems, if forced to do so, I would
give this disc a 4.25 out of 5 rating, and even that may increase with
repeated listens.




Arttie

"4 All" sounds really cool.

Do you think he could posibly get this into WAL-MART, or have it stocked in CD stores or bookstores?

the label said it will be everywhere will haveto wait and see

but it was released today

I have been spinning it non-stop....seriously....



Arttie

very cool!

there will be no new LNJ in 2009

so enjoy that for at least a year!