| Musical Style: Classic Metal | Produced By: Richard Lynch & Tom Nunes |
| Record Label: Armor | Country Of Origin: USA |
| Year Released: 2004 | Artist Website: Saint |
| Tracks: 9 | Rating: 85% |
| Running Time: 40:54 |
On In The Battle, Salem, Oregon based Saint returns with its first full length studio release in fifteen years. After getting started in 1984 with a low budget six song EP entitled Warriors Of The Son, Saint signed to Pure Metal Records and followed up two years later with its full length debut Time's End. While a bit rough around the edges production wise, Time's End showcased the significant growth and maturity gained by the band in terms of its songwriting skills. Saint did not reach its artistic pinnacle, however, until 1988 with Too Late For Living, a work of art combining perhaps the bands strongest group of songs with nothing less than a stellar production job. Saint briefly reunited in 1999 for a six song EP entitled The Perfect Life that, disappointingly, moved in a commercial hard rock direction while failing to include original vocalist Josh Kramer. In The Battle, on the other hand, finds Saint returning to its classic metal roots of the eighties in addition to welcoming Josh Kramer back into the fold.
Josh Kramer has done nothing but improve over the years, his voice still coming across with the same powerful and commanding Halford-like presence. Founding member bassist Richard Lynch and drummer Larry London form a tight sounding rhythm section. Rhythm guitar duties are capably handled by both Josh and newcomer Jerry Johnson. Jerry, on the other hand, contributes all of the albums lead guitar work with the tracks “Riders” and "Full Armor" being the lone exceptions.
In The Battle might not quite feature the highly polished sonics of Too Late For Living, but it more than holds its own with a crisp and clean sounding production job. A crunchy rhythm guitar sound aligns itself with a crystal clear mix of lead guitar. The rhythm section comes across in a full and pronounced sounding manner.
The album cover, displaying the band decked out in black leather with a nuclear explosion in the background, is, well, loud. It is worth pointing out that the lyrics included with the albums packaging feature a few too many spelling errors.
The muscular guitar riff at the start of "In The Battle" propels the song through its first verse with a plethora of energetic momentum. Picking up in pace for its emotionally charged pre-chorus, "In The Battle" moves on to a hard hitting chorus driven by a deep sounding voice twice repeating its title. As with many songs by Saint, "In The Battle" deals with the end times:
Hear the martyrs, hear them cry
White horse rider, with fire in His eyes
I hear the armies beat the drum
The end of time has just begun
The dragon wears a kingly crown
But his kingdoms going down
In the battle
With a songwriting credit given to original guitarist John Mahan, "Star Pilot's Return" - the sequel to "Star Pilot" from Too Late For Living - is an older tune Saint pulled out of the vault. Advancing through its first verse at an energy-laden mid-tempo pace, "Star Pilot's Return" peaks upon attaining a sweeping chorus resonating a dark and heavy feel. Jerry nails a blistering over-the-top guitar solo. "Star Pilot's Return" touches upon the issues of science fiction and spiritual warfare:
In the flight heartbeat racing
Cruising through space with a dare
Armored with truth out for the conquest
Fighting the prince of the air
From the curse to the cross
We will fight for the lost star pilot
Kicking in to a hard and heavy riff backed by a bit of lead guitar, "Here We Are" gives prominence to an emotional setting as Josh details the person of Christ during its first verse:
You are the master
The mighty everlasting King
You are the Savior
Creator of all everything
You are the glory
The stripes You bare, You bare for me
You are the grace, Lord
That all of us have become free
"Here We Are" picks up in pace as it attains a chorus in which a worshipful atmosphere is created:
And there You are
Brighter than the brightest star
Lord, we bring our praise to You
Jerry nails thirty seconds of the albums best lead guitar work.
The dramatic seven minute epic "Sacrifice" details the events leading up to Christ's crucifixion. Commencing to narration between Pilate and the crowd taken from Mark 15:9-11 underscored by a pounding riff, "Sacrifice" picks up in pace at the start of its first verse as it portrays the life of Christ:
Was born a virgin child, to fulfill prophecy
God in a human body, walked upon the sea
He preached and fed the thousands
He caused the blind to see
As His own people turned away, their destiny
Upon reaching its powerful chorus, the song focuses on Christ's work on the cross:
He was born to be a sacrifice
A living curse upon a tree
He was born to be a sacrifice
A sacrifice for you and me
Narration follows from Mark 15:12-14 before "Sacrifice" arrives at its second verse and describes Christ's victory on the cross:
The road He walked was narrow
He new it had to be, He new that in the end
His blood would claim His victory
The minute long instrumental passage that ensues opens to several seconds of rhythm guitar harmony followed by a melodic flavored guitar solo. Subsequent to narration from Galatians 3:10-13, "Sacrifice" closes after repeating its chorus one last time.
"Holy Rollin'" is the albums least noteworthy composition. Introduced to several seconds of tight guitar harmony, "Holy Rollin'" is carried through its first verse in upbeat fashion by an upfront mix of rhythm guitar, the song picking up further in pace for a chorus with lyrics that can come across on the tedious side:
You got me holy rollin' now
You got my feet on the track
And your loves comin' down
Now I'm never going back
You got me holy rollin' now
"Holy Rollin'”, however, communicates great truth as well:
As I walked amazed
Grace has covered me
Through the trials and wonders
Grace has set me free
Penned by Richard Lynch and former guitarist Dee Harrington, the exciting "Ryders" is by far the albums strongest track. Taking off in a fast paced manner to several seconds of lead guitar, "Ryder" slows to a muscular guitar driven mid-tempo pace for its first and second verse. An extensive chorus with a huge catchy hook delivers a powerful message:
We are the ryders in the night
Commissioned from the cross
To bring the world the Light
Josh nails a flashy pull-out-all-the-stops guitar solo only to return and carry the song over its last minute with more of the same.
"The Choice" stands out with a catchy melody that will refuse to leave your head. Once the song gradually fades in, a crunchy rhythm guitar quickly conveys it to an aggressively delivered chorus buttressed by deep sounding background vocal harmonies. "The Choice" literally presents that:
In the midnight witching hour
The choice is to be made
A choice you make can change your life today
You can choose to follow darkness
Or you can choose to follow light
The choice you make, it's foolish or it's right
God or the devil, God or the devil
Who will you betray?
Beginning to thirty seconds of crisp sounding rhythm guitar, "When" immediately launches into its strong melodic flavored chorus as the rhythm guitar plays a reduced role in the mix. The rhythm guitar, however, returns hard and heavy as the song picks up in pace upon transitioning to its verse portions. "When" presents a plea for the return of Christ:
When You coming down, when You coming down
When You coming down, again
After an acoustic guitar solo opens "Acid Rain/Full Armor", a thrash influenced riff shores up its first and second verse in hard hitting fashion. A catchy chorus progressing at an upbeat tempo deals with the issue of spiritual warfare:
Put all His righteousness salvation armor on
When we stand amidst the fray, His shield of faith will keep you safe from arrows thrown
Full armor on that final day
A driving guitar riff carries the last minute and a half of the albums shortest (3:17) song.
What else can you say except it is nothing less than a blessing to hear the first full length album from Saint following a fifteen year hiatus. And In the Battle proves an all around solid comeback effort in combining a strong production job with the bands top notch musicianship and songwriting. While "Ryders" is by far the albums strongest track, the hard hitting title track, the catchy "The Choice" and the seven minute long masterpiece "Sacrifice" are equally commendable. I look forward to hearing more from Saint in the future!
Review by: Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: "In The Battle" (4:07), "Star Pilot Return" (3:50), "Here We Are" (4:00), "Sacrifice" (7:15), "Holy Rollin’" (4:04), "Ryders" (6:05), "The Choice" (3:38), "When" (4:34), "Acid Rain/Full Armor" (3:17)
Musicians
Josh Kramer – Lead Vocals & Guitars
Jerry Johnson – Guitars
Richard Lynch – Bass
Drums – Larry London
Also Reviewed: Saint – Time’s End, Saint – Warriors Of The Son: 20th Anniversary Edition, Saint - Live 05, Saint - The Mark, Saint - Crime Scene Earth
