| Musical Style: Classic Metal | Produced By: Bradley S. Hamilton |
| Record Label: Pure Metal | Country Of Origin: USA |
| Year Released: 1986 | Artist Website: Saint |
| Tracks: 9 | Rating: 80% |
| Running Time: 39:36 |
Saint's origin can be traced back to the late seventies to a Salem, Oregon based band named Power Faith that included a guitarist by the name of John Mahan. Power Faith soon broke up only to later reform under the name The Gentiles, a hard rocking outfit that in 1981 recorded a four song demo featuring Mahan, new bassist Richard Lynch and stand in vocalist Max Clark. After The Gentiles folded in 1982, Lynch began work on new material and soon came upon the name Saint. A permanent vocalist in Josh Kramer was brought into the fold and, with the return of Mahan on guitar, Saint recorded a six song EP entitled Warriors Of The Son which it released on its own label, Rotton Records, in 1984. Mahan subsequently left Saint in 1985 only to be replaced by the talented Dee Harrington. At that point the band signed to Pure Metal records and started work on new material; however, Harrington soon departed to join Holy Danger which left the door open for the return of Mahan. In the meantime, Saint went through a literal revolving door of drummers before hiring Brian Willis (Quarterflash) in the studio.
On its 1986 Pure Metal debut Time’s End Saint plays classic heavy metal with an occasional speed metal and thrash influence, the bands energetic sound easily inviting a comparison to the likes of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Metal Church and Armageddon. Lead vocalist Josh Kramer exhibits a great deal of power and presence with his versatile Halford-like voice. On the albums heavier numbers like "Time's End" and "Steel Killer" he adds an element of grit and aggression to his delivery, while bringing a smooth sounding touch on the more melodic based "Island Prisoner" and "Through You". John Mahan puts in a standout performance with a mean and nasty in your face style of playing, contributing several lengthy solos carried out well past one minute. Bassist Richard Lynch and Brian Willis comprise a tight and steady rhythm section.
Time's End is held back by a low budget production job giving prominence to sonics on the muddy side. The rhythm section sounds muffled with neither the bass nor drums consistently rising above the instrumentation. While the rhythm guitar can come across in a thin sounding manner, the lead guitar receives an adequate mix.
Time's End showcases an eye catching album cover with two beasts rising out of the ocean. The track listing on the back of the CD; however, fails to follow the order the songs are played back.
Several seconds of open air rhythm guitar introduces "In The Night" before Josh steps forward with a scream, the driving riff that kicks in pushing the song with an abundance of energy to a hard hitting chorus reinforced by "barking dog" like background vocals. Mahan spices things up with an abundance of gritty lead guitar work.
After "Island Prisoner" begins to several seconds of slowly moving guitar harmony, it gains momentum and smoothly advances to a chorus with a huge catchy hook. Mahan steps forward with several seconds of fiery lead guitar work. As its title implies, "Island Prisoner" talks about the Apostle John who wrote the book of Revelation while banished to the Island of Patmos in the Mediterranean:
You're going into exile today
Island prisoner, you're no visitor
Visions you've witnessed unveiled in a book
Why are they all coming true
Not in your wildest dreams could you ever imagine the revelation you have seen
A warning for mankind to see
Will they ever awaken to the devastation that will be
The creative "Space Cruiser" gives prominence to one of the albums strongest melody lines. Opening to a brief drum solo, a choppy guitar riff propels the song through its first verse at a catchy upbeat tempo as it details how being from outer space will one day reveal themselves:
Out on a baron street
Just outside of town
The spacemen and his fleet
They're all touchin' down
Rather than being super advances extraterrestrials, they are part of a satanic plot to deceive mankind:
They're not from outer space
Nor the ocean or sea
Deep down inside the earth
Demons damned and cursed
Materializing steel, forging Satanic will
Mahan contributes over a minute of blazing lead guitar work before the song slows upon reaching its second verse as the true source of the aliens is revealed:
A flying curse up in the sky
Sent here from utter darkness
They've come to tell us all their lies
"Space Cruiser" breaks for another lengthy guitar run until it picks back up in space prior to ending by summing up its theme:
Space cruiser you're exposed for all to see
Your plot is evil- glad it's you, not me
The emotional semi-ballad "Through You" is reminiscent to "The War Is Over" (from the bands follow up 1989 effort Too Late For Living). Carried from start to finish by a crunchy rhythm guitar backed by a punchy bass line, the song culminates as it attains a melodic flavored chorus with a good commercial feel . Mahan steals the show by adding over a minute of strong lead guitar work to a song dealing with the day to day struggles in the life of a Christian:
Knowing that Your Word is real
Knowing that You’re true
Still I find myself in chains
Can't make it without You
Looking to Your guiding Light
Wanting to come in
Always there to help me out
You pick me up again
Forty-five seconds of catchy rhythm guitar harmony initiates the albums dark and haunting title track. Maintaining an energetic edge as it moves through its first verse at a mid-tempo pace, "Time's End" evenly advances on a sweeping chorus with a catchy refuse to go away hook. A powerful guitar solo closes out the last thirty seconds of a song presenting a fictional account of the life of an individual during the tribulation period:
He climbs the ladder up into his fright
Leaving the sewer city late at night
Roaming the streets he hears the people cry
There are beastly banners flying high
Mass execution, stage a bloody feast
Won't take the number or bow down to the beast
Progressing through its verse portions to Josh’s emotionally charged lead vocal performance, “Primed And Ready” peaks for an infectious chorus backed by deep sounding vocal harmonies. Mahan tears it up with just under a minute of melodic flavored lead guitar work reinforced by a punchy bass line. "Primed And Ready" deals with the second coming:
Primed and ready
The end of time is near
Someone's shouting, He's coming back for those who care
When it all comes to pass
When the first have become last
When evils lost the final fight
To the King and all His might...
The overbearing "Destroyers" is the only song on the album to not quite make the grade. Driven forward by a choppy guitar riff, the song hits a wall upon attaining a chorus carried in a repetitious manner by background vocals that come across way too heavy handed. Mahan adds a nice aggressively played guitar solo but it is not enough to put the song over the top. "Destroyers" takes a tongue and cheek approach to the end of the world:
Don't miss the end of the world
It's the greatest show on earth
Most everybody's got their tickets
And they'll really get their moneys worth.
Like many songs on Time's End it also deals with the end times:
Rumors of war and of drastic changing weather
Earthquakes and famine reign on the earth forever
Prophets of old and their warnings to the earth
Telling all mankind boldly ever since its birth
Beginning to a few seconds of guitar feedback, "Phantom Of The Galaxy" launches into a fast paced riff bordering on speed metal, the frenetic tempo maintained as the song quickly rushes ahead to a chorus delivered with a ton of infectious energy. "Phantom Of The Galaxy" exposes Satan and his hatred for mankind:
What is your reason to destroy
It comes with treason, your decoy
You pose as a friend to all our race
But hell has sent you, your home base
Death is the name that you claim
Phantom of the galaxy...
As "Phantom Of The Galaxy" ends, it segues into the thrash influenced "Steel Killer" as a heavy duty guitar riff impels it to a chorus that also exposes the evil one:
Killer! Steel killer!
He stalks his prey
Killer! Steel killer!
Wants you to throw your life away
After "Steel Killer" stops dead in its tracks for a minute and a half of driving rhythm guitar, it repeats its chorus one last time before closing the album to several more minutes of rhythm guitar.
With songwriting contributions from three different members of the band, Time’s End provides some of the finest moments musically of Saint's career. "Island Prisoner", "Primed And Ready" and "Through You" all showcase catchy melodies; however, the classic heavy metal sounds of "Space Cruiser", "Time's End" and "Phantom Of The Galaxy" hold up equally well. And while the albums production prove a bit of a detraction, if given a top notch production job Time's End would hold its own musically with any release of its era.
M8 Records re-issued Time's End on CD in 2002 with eight live tracks recorded at Cornerstone 1986. With the exception of the live tracks (which are a bit rough around the edges but very nostalgic), no reason exists to own the M8 version in that its sonics fail to do the project justice. In 2003 Armor Records released Time's End as part of a two CD set that included all of the bands work from 1984-99. The Armor Records version, upon which this review is based, sounds 100% better with more refined sonics highlighting a crisper rhythm guitar sound and rhythm section with more snap and punch. (If you want to form a basis for comparison give the M8 version a grade of 70/100.) The original Pure Metal CD version of Time's End remains a hard to find collectors item.
Review by: Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: "In The Night" (3:32), "Island Prisoner" (4:28), "Space Cruiser" (5:18), "Through You" (4:16), "Time’s End" (4:50), "Primed And Ready" (3:53), "Destroyers" (3:24), "Phantom Of The Galaxy/Steel Killer" (8:26)
Musicians
Josh Kramer – Vocals
John Mahan – Guitars
Richard Lynch – Bass
Brian Willis - Drums
Also Reviewed: Saint – In The Battle, Saint – Warriors Of The Son: 20th Anniversary Edition, Saint - Live 05, Saint - The Mark, Saint - Crime Scene Earth, Various Artists - Righteous Metal
