| Musical Style: Classic Rock | Produced By: |
| Record Label: Independent | Country Of Origin: Sweden |
| Year Released: 2025 | Artist Website: Jerusalem |
| Tracks: 11 | Rating: 85% |
| Running Time: 64:22 |
Jerusalem, one of Sweden’s marquee Christian hard music bands, is back. The group returns following fifteen year hiatus with its independent summer of 2025 eighth full length albums Stitches, which represents the English version to the Swedish release from 2023 under the title Stygn. Previously, the Gothenburg based act put out in 2010 and 1994 the U2 influenced sounds to She and Prophet, respectively, subsequent to the eighties metal of Dancing On The Head Of The Serpent (1988) and pop wave derivative Can’t Stop Us Now (1984). Jerusalem gained initial renown for the seventies predicated classic hard rock to inaugural releases Volume 1 (1980), Volume 2 (1981) and Warrior (1982).
Musically, Stitches represents a ‘throwback’ to the old school Jerusalem sound in similar vein as Warrior. Gone, for instance, is the wave-like U2-ish guitars defining She and Prophet and replaced with more stripped down and blues grounded underpinnings in line with the group’s roots. Similar to Warrior, Stitches features a core of straightforward heavy rocking cuts but also draws upon progressive rock - noting several seven minutes songs and an epic in excess of ten minutes - and even acoustic to ballad like territory. Lyrically, album stays true to the Jerusalem faith based penchant in drawing much of its prose from scripture with liner notes providing further detail.
Production wise, Stitches shines with a clean and lucent mix allowing each instrument room and space to breathe. That said production also limits guitar to extent Stitches is not quite heavy as Warrior, with gist I place it under a classic rock heading as opposed to hard rock or metal. Yes, a particular you can accept as neutral observation as opposed to critique in light of the choice Stitches songwriting, but I also feel in places rhythm guitar deserved to deliver a bit more punch. Bloodgood fifth studio album All Stand Together (1991) comes to mind in this capacity.
“God Is God” is a fantastic opener. It accents ample doses of hook driven swing and groove to go alongside embracing rhythm guitar to rate with albums heaviest. Founding member Ulf Christiansson as ever sings with passion and resolve - he literally has not lost anything in terms of vocal range - while guest guitarist CJ Grimmark (Narnia) shreds in top form. Lyric snippet:
A door is open
It’s been there all the time
But we said never mind
In our resistance, we made a terrible mistake!
Do you mean God is a culture thing
He’s far more than you ever can think!
God is God
That’s how its always been!
Ten-minute “Jeremiah” continues the Jerusalem tradition for lengthy material, noting the twelve-minute “Sodom” gracing Warrior. Song breaks down into three parts with first instrumentally covering the opening minute to a joining of spacey keyboards and church organ that brings to mind Barnabas track “Subterfuge” (off Approaching Light Speed from 1983). Second takes the listener to the halfway mark to a melodically inclined seventies classic rock junction of Hammond B3 and succinct guitar, while third approaches from a storytelling standpoint featuring spoken word vocals with heavy set bass, acoustic guitar and long term drummer Michael Ulvsgard’s heated timekeeping. A great song that does not wear out its welcome despite the length
Albums title track is a brazen rocker in mode of “God Is God”. “Stitches” ups tempo to insistent levels, palpitating with its eloquent low end and intensified demeanor but also fetching in light of another magnetic melody to draw in at moments notice. Song periodically decelerates to a shuffling acoustic blues groove akin to Glenn Kaiser Band. Songwriting quality remains fantastic. Lyric snippet:
Seek my kingdom first of all
This will help you to stand tall
Don’t let anything drag away
Keep your first love and you’ll be OK
Jesus you knew me from the very first start
Like an open book You’re reading my heart
And this miracle came from You
And that’s what You did for me
Thank You that You never gave up on me
“How Could We” represents a varied classic rocker. Song negotiates its span altering between moments gliding to concise acoustic guitar and others lifted in heavier fashion to Hammond B3 and bluesy guitar- back and forth and back and forth again. Son Philip Christiansson handles lead vocals with a style not that far removed from that of Ulf.
“Love And Truth” separates as another dynamic cut. I find it darker and resoundingly heavy - noting the leaden bass work of Anders Mossberg - but also splintering of immersing energy, hooks are of the highest order (chorus is HUGE). I cannot help but be reminded of mid-period Bride. Lyric snippet:
Love and truth will always stick together
Never ever will be separated
Keep them close to you
And never let them go
We are here for another kingdom
Born once more, into love and freedom
And I can see them dressed in white
The Saints that are piercing through the night
After opening to five good as it gets cuts, album takes a slight dip with “Sleeping Beauty”. What we have is a lightly laid back five minutes drifting gradually to Hammond B3, noting the work of founding member Dan Tibell, and disparate acoustic guitar. Yes, this one is a bit different and not one of my favorites but solid all the same. Perhaps it might have elevated with a bluesy guitar solo.
Albums shortest at three and half minutes, “Maybe God” presents as a flash of outgoing energy and outspoken hooks assuming the up-tempo. Rhythms hit particularly hard, allowing song to rank with albums heaviest, and organ makes its ever-presence felt, continuing the classic seventies nuances. Lyric snippet:
To mean well, doesn’t always tell
What’s needed to be said and save you from hell
Stay awake, please believe
Don’t’ follow those that cannot see
Come follow, be awake then
Come, follow and walk my way then
Take your cross and come with me
But you have to deny yourself!
“Our Time Now” represents first of albums two seven-minute cuts. It might return to the mellower acoustic and keyboard territory of “Sleeping Beauty”, but I find it to better hold up from what in my opinion is the more immediately distinguishable melody. Wonderful bluesy soloing of Philip is another plus. This one fills out its length quite well.
Back to heavier territory with “Pharisees”, a scintillating showstopper trending the mid-tempo and full on melody based. Guitar makes an implacable albeit not hard rock statement, while additional values comes in form of the periodic spoken word (almost rap based) vocals, which serve to build upon the portent emotion. What we have is best song since “Love And Truth”. Also, note the line ‘Jesus you’re the most fantastic’ pays tribute to the Volume 1 song “Jesus Is The Most Fantastic”. Lyric snippet:
I remember it like yesterday
When You saved me from myself
In my pride, I was mocking You
But then You met me with love
Looking for love where the Pharisees are
Left in a ditch broken with scars
Saw a Pharisee in myself
If one’s hiding in your shelf
“Pioneer (Sons Of Thunder)” is seven minutes of progressive time and tempo changes. Instrumental opening minutes begin to a drum solo ahead of flowing forward to jazz fusion embellishes, with the churning scene gradually gaining force until militant guitar cuts in and drives things ahead with anthem like fury. A buoyant melody carries over its final minute and a half, as incentive decelerates and organ plays a forward role to uphold the overriding moody sensibilities.
Final song “Here I Am” is albums least remarkable as another acoustic rocker. No, far from bad and not filler - I take to Philip’s moving guitar leads - but I would much rather have things end to another heavy rocker along lines of “God Is God”, “Stitches” and “Maybe God”.
Stitches presents with its share of fantastic songs, with my favorites including the opening five in addition to “Pharisees” and “Pioneer (Sons Of Thunder)”. Credit Jerusalem equally for revisiting its seventies classic rock roots, a direction I find perfectly complementary to the groups sound. Lone constructive comment is I wish album included not just a bit more muscular rhythm guitar but also soloing. Why, for instance, limit CJ Grimmark to just one song- why not half the albums material if not more? Still, if a Jerusalem fan, particularly the group’s earlier work, Stitches will not disappoint.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “God Is God” (4:43), “Jeremiah” (10:24), “Stitches” (5:38), “How Could We” (5:06),”Love And Truth” (4:37), “Sleeping Beauty” (4:59), “Maybe God” (3:32), “Our Time Now” (7:35), “Pharisees” (4:27), “Pioneer (Sons Of Thunder)” (7:11), “Here I Am” (6:09)
Musicians
Ulf Christiansson - Lead Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards & Synthesizers
Philip Christiansson - Lead Vocals, Guitars & Piano
CJ Grimmark - Guitars, Keyboards & Organ
Anders Mossberg - Bass
Peter Carlsohn - Bass
Michael Ulvsgard - Drums
Reidar I Paasche - Organ
Dan Tibell - Organ
