| Musical Style: Heavy Metal | Produced By: Barnabas & Tom Tucker |
| Record Label: Light | Country Of Origin: USA |
| Year Released: 1983 | Artist Website: Barnabas |
| Tracks: 9 | Rating: 75% |
| Running Time: 45:00 |
On its 1980 Tunesmith debut Hear The Light, Barnabas took a foundation of guitar driven hard rock and effectively combined it with elements metal, blues, folk, punk and new wave. Following up a year later on the same label with Find Your Heart A Home, Barnabas displayed much more continuity as it moved in a seventies influenced classic hard rock direction. The album that put Barnabas over the top, however, was its 1983 release Approaching Light Speed, a groundbreaking effort that showcased for the first time in the Christian marketplace a guitar sound aggressive enough to fall within the heavy metal category.
A great deal of credit for that accomplishment must be given to guitarist Brian Belew for the huge and upfront wall of rhythm guitar he lays down. Belew's talent, on the other hand, best shines during the albums instrumental passages in which he cuts loose with lead guitar work combining Randy Rhodes-like hammer-ons and tapping techniques developed by Eddie Van Halan. Vocalist Nancy Jo Mann proves the real deal and, with very fine power and range to her voice, puts forth one of the strongest female vocal performances on a Christian metal/hard rock release. Gary Mann contributes an abundance of heavy duty bass lines in addition to handling all the albums keyboard duties. Drummer Kris Klingensmith puts forth a very fine performance, but his work can come across underplayed at times. For example, several tracks would have been enhanced by a bit of double bass which is not delivered.
While the production values to Approaching Light Speed are quite sound, the album would have benefited from a bit of big budget polish. A literal ton of rhythm guitar is combined with a clean mix of lead guitar. The rhythm section, on the other hand, can sound slightly muddy with the bass and drums in need of a cleaner mix. Keyboards are used to good effect but end up laid on a bit thick on several tracks. The lead vocals are mixed a bit too prominently but not to the point of being a distraction.
The screaming guitar feedback initiating "No Freedom" transitions to a heavy handed riff reinforced by a hammering bass line, the two impelling the song to an aggressive sounding chorus with a no compromise message:
But there's no freedom
No real freedom
There is no freedom in sin
Belew exhibits his pyrotechnical guitar playing during a sweeping two minute instrumental passage.
Introduced to a pounding guitar riff, "Stormclouds" advances at a near doom-like mid-tempo pace as a driving rhythm guitar carries its first verse and the powerfully delivered chorus that follows. I like how "Stormclouds" stops dead in its tracks for a combination of piano and keyboards followed by thirty seconds of intense lead guitar work. "Stormclouds" deals with the issue of abortion:
Unborn children murdered by the millions
Sacrificed so mom can run free
Shattered victims scattered through the wreckage
Picking through what once used to be
As the stormclouds roll from the crest of Mount Zion
Who will turn away and be saved?
"If Love Brings Love" is a catchy piano based ballad allowing Nancy Jo to stretch and display her talent. A piano presides over the song during its first verse and chorus before it gains momentum as a near perfect mix of bass, drums and keyboards propels it forward at an upbeat tempo. Belew displays a softer side to his playing during a minute long instrumental passage.
The keyboard solo at the start of "Waiting For The Aliens" gives way to an aggressive riff that backs Nancy Jo as she conveys the songs storyline of how extraterrestrials will reveal themselves and influence events on earth following the rapture:
Captured earthlings vanish in a flicker of light
And there's nothing that the Air Force can do
The guys at work all say that it's a message from space
An omen of the good things to come
An interstellar rescue for what's left of the race
Now that the troublemakers are gone
After the song reaches its emotionally charged chorus, the "aliens" attempt to eliminate all traces of Christianity:
They've done away with Jesus and that hellfire fear
So now we can get loose and be free
They're burning all the bibles 'cause it's cheap energy
They're turning all the churches to bars
No more silly fables or religious debris
We know are masters come from the stars
An instrumental section in which a keyboard solo is underscored by a crunchy rhythm guitar precedes the extraterrestrials advising the remaining people on earth to follow an individual who obviously is the antichrist:
So we're waiting for the aliens with our hearts open wide
Clinging to their every command
They said they're coming soon
So we should trust the new guy
Who wants to put that mark on our hand
The song ends to a "control voice" commanding the people on earth to "sign up or face the consequences" (not necessarily in those words).
Getting underway to a blend of edgy rhythm guitar and muscular bass lines, "Warrior" is driven forward with a ton of energy to a fleeting chorus with a good catchy hook. During the extensive instrumental section following the songs second chorus, Belew pulls out all the stops as he displays his neo-classical style of playing. As its title implies, "Warrior" touches upon the issue of spiritual warfare:
Spiritual warriors in life
Battle with sword in hand
I will fight the good fight in life
Conquering I'll make my stand
The driving hard rock of "Never Felt Better" proceeds through its first verse at a near doom-like mid-tempo pace, the song evenly moving ahead until it reaches a strong hard hitting chorus. More fast paced lead guitar brings out the best in a song in which Nancy Jo defends the bands music to those who "refuse to take the time to walk a mile in their shoes":
Some people call us wolves in sheep's clothing
They don't like the kind of music we play...
'Cause the truths in the music and the music's in me
So I guess that means we're here to stay
The progressive influenced "Subterfuge" begins to a minute of keyboards that segues to an anthemic riff before Belew cuts loose with a breathtaking hammer-on driven guitar solo. Slowing to a crisp rhythm guitar at the start of its first verse, “Subterfuge” picks up in pace for a sweeping chorus giving rise to a nice sublime feel. Tight sounding rhythm guitar harmony followed by the same pounding riff opening the song introduces an instrumental passage ending to a keyboard solo.
"Crucifixion" is broken down into two parts: Part one begins to a bass guitar solo followed by an energetic guitar riff that supports Nancy Jo as she presents lyrics taken from Psalm 22:
My God, my God! Why hast Thou forsaken me?
Be not far form, for trouble is near
For bulls have surrounded me, they open wide their mouths at me
I am poured out like water, all my bones are out of joint
My heart is like wax, melted within me
Dogs have surrounded me, and nailed my hands and feet
The instrumental passage dividing the songs two parts opens to another bass solo ensued by several seconds of lead guitar work that would best be describes as "neo-classical influenced distortion". The second part to "Crucifixion" details the resurrection:
Mary why do you weep? For now you see its Me
I've risen from the dead; the others will come and see
God gave Me the victory over satan and this world
I hold the keys to death and hell; proclaim my name to all the world
The song closes to a minute and a half long bass solo (Gary Mann really gets a work out on this song!) followed by more of the same type of screaming guitar feedback opening the album.
"All Alone" is a bonus track recording during the Approaching Light Speed sessions intended for inclusion on the album but due to contractual reasons had to be replaced at the last minute by "Crucifixion". (A different version of "All Alone" appears on the bands final album Little Foxes .)
Commencing to a combination of bass guitar and keyboards, the song moves forward in an acoustic laced manner until the rhythm guitar enters the mix in time to fortify a strong melodic flavored chorus. A clean sounding keyboard solo introduces an instrumental pasage ending to a restrained (for him) guitar solo from Belew. The songs lyrics are haunting in their feel:
The peaceful moon reflects in tears of your solitude
Look around, but there's no one to share the blame
Unwilling loner in an unfeeling multitude
As previously stated, Approaching Light Speed proved a groundbreaking release due to introducing for the first time a legitimate front to back metal based guitar sound to the Christian hard music community. Barnabas, at the same time, must be commended on a very fine performance highlighting Brian Belew's pyrotechnical guitar playing and Nancy Jo's very fine lead vocals. And despite a few production misgivings, every song on the album stands up under repeated play.
I still own the vinyl copy of Approaching Light Speed I purchased when it was released in 1983; however, the CD was re-issued several years ago by M8 records with "All Alone" as a bonus track.
Review by: Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: "No Freedom" (4:30), "Stormclouds" (4:39), "If Love Brings Love" (4:03), "Waiting For The Aliens" (6:10), "Warrior" (3:55), "Never Felt Better" (3:20), "Subterfuge" (5:47), "Crucifixion" (5:59), "All Alone" (5:45)
Musicians
Nancy Jo Mann – Lead Vocals
Brian Belew – Guitars
Gary Mann – Bass & Keyboards
Kris Klingensmith - Drums
