Musical Style: Melodic Rock	Produced By: Johnathan David Brown & Greg X. Volz
Record Label: Myrrh	Country Of Origin: USA
Year Released: 1986	Artist Website: Greg X. Volz
Tracks: 10	Rating: 80%
Running Time: 46:37

The 1986 Myrrh Records debut Greg X. Volz solo album The River Is Rising satisfied a wide range of melodic rock and AOR needs.  Looking for prevalent hooks and melodies?  Album stays true to the accessible and commercial.  Fancy a high-end and soaring lead vocalist?  Volz delivers with his pure and pristine classic tenor abilities.  Interested in a heavier take on either form?  Guitar shores up to extent artist’s previous band Petra not to mention Guardian, Watchmen, Novella, Fear Not and The Brave come to mind.

Volz traces his roots to his first band The Wombats from 1964 and second Gidian’s Bible he joined four years later.  A decision of faith in 1970, however, prompted him to depart Gidian’s Bible and form a Jesus music band named e Band, which placed several songs on the 1973 double LP rock musical Because I Am.  Volz later performed in the rock stage musical Ezekiel prior to declining in 1976 due to his faith an offer for the lead vocalist position in REO Speedwagon.  In 1977 he fronted three songs on Petra album Come And Join Us ahead of permanently taking on Petra lead vocal duties with1979 release Washes Whiter Than and follow up efforts Never Say Die (1981), More Power To Ya (1982), Not Of This World (1983) and Beat The System (1984).

The River Is Rising shares similar qualities to Beat The System from featuring the same producer, Jonathan David Brown, and arranger and synthesizer programmer, Carl Marsh.  Hence, manner in which album includes not only a pronounced keyboard emphasis akin to Beat The System but - for better or worse - programmed Fairlight drums, crediting the work of Marsh either way.  Where The River Is Rising diverges, however, and in my opinion makes it the stronger release when placed alongside Beat The System, is from further emphasizing a heavier rhythm guitar sound.

Opening track “Barrier” separates in this capacity.  Song delivers the hard rock if not borderline melodic metal goods, noting the presence of guitarist Kirk Henderson, but not without forsaking the engrained, a sense of immediacy builds upon the return for repeat listen appeal.  Said electronic nuances manifest in the opening keyboard solo. 

“Joyous Grave” extends into commercial AOR territory.  Guitars do not hit quite as hard but remain plainspoken all the same, while keyboards play a corresponding appended role (noting guest keyboardist John Lawry’s exquisite solo) but not to the point of detraction.  Volz’s silky smooth vocals align with the unblemished echoes to radiate.  Lyric snippet:

The only thing I've lost here
Is my fear of passin' time
What I sowed in tears I'll reap with joy
In fact, it's already arrived
There's nothin' greater than a promise
When it's real in your soul
You're true, I see it clearly now
There's no way You'd let me go
It's easy to be patient
When You know the end is sure

Back to heavier territory with “Livin’ For The Bell”.  With bass solo to start, song mirrors the blithesome with its crunch heavy astuteness, lightly done piano and shred lead guitar of Henderson.  The intriguing keyboard and bluesy guitar interplay closing the final minute reminds of AD.

“Still Waters” is first of albums two ballads.  Musically, I find it solid with a choice melody and singular refinement, but lone complaint is that it is one of several tracks in which keyboards end up placed too prominently.  Further magnifying the problem is that neither rhythm nor lead guitar makes nary an appearance.  I do not necessarily mind heavy keyboards, but in my opinion work best when offset by an equal guitar emphasis.  Lyric snippet:

Though a storm is all around me
And I feel the waves
Yet I know Your love surrounds me
And I'm not afraid
If I keep searchin' for Your harbor
You will light my way

Lead me to still waters
To the waters that never will run dry

“All I Can Do” revisits the albums guitar driven AOR inclining.  Song pushes forward from the start to an enterprising tempo as keyboards play a forward albeit non detracting role, the briskness elevated as sure rhythm guitar joins and leads the way to the worshipful ‘all I can do, all I can do is praise Him’ refrain.  Occasional choral backing vocals lend to the victorious clime.

“Heaven Is Within You” strains towards the bluesy side of hard rock.  Yes, it opens to an angelic keyboard solo but gritty guitar soon take over that compel the songs length, a mesmerizing foundation settled as strapping verse sections contrast with a settled refrain impressing of the graceful and delicate.  I value the instrumental final minute in which jazzy bass pumps to the forefront.  Lyric snippet:

Your fingers close on thin air
Staring in pain at your empty hand
And the miles you ran
Can't you understand

That Heaven is within you
Given when your God is true
Heaven is within you
Given when your will is thru

Albums scintillatingly melodic title track ensues.  “The River Is Rising” revels in the demur, moderate to start as acoustic tinctures gradually lead the way - AOR aspects speak of the palatable - but also winsomely elevating past the halfway point, as capacity builds in reflecting the congenial.  Whereas I identify with the song as another strong entry, I also wish rhythm guitar made its presence felt to better balance the keyboard regard.

“Break Out Of The Trance” diverges as albums fastest.  Guitar returns in full force to galvanize further the cavorting impetus, uncovered in the intense backing vocals repeating songs title and the churning instrumental moments aligned with what sounds like tribal beats.  This one is a bit experimental and outside the box but is creative and a fun listen all the same.  Lyric snippet:

You're an upstanding person
You'd never go too far
But you're sitting with your friend
Who's too drunk to walk
And he's driving your car

Go and take what you've been taken for
Break out of the trance
You can't miss it, there's only one real door
Break out of the trance

“Hold On To The Fire” is another choice track.  It proves warmly tinctured, jaunting at an enriched mid-tempo clip to cinematic keyboards and classic rock tinged guitar all the while echoing of a heated melody aligning with the commercial.  Helping put the song over the top is guest guitarist Phil Keaggy’s dazzling soloing, not to mention the Matthew Ward and Mark Farner backing vocal team.

Album closes to second ballad “Man Like You”.  Similar to “Still Waters” it is keyboard based but this time not to fault in that it diverges in form of a defined guitar presence, albeit subtly so.  As a result, I find it does a finer job surviving the repeat play test.  Lyric snippet:

I wanna be a man like You
But my heart won't face the task
I wanna be a man like You
But I tremble when I ask
Oh, the light that shines in darkness
All that's good and true
Take me from myself and make me new
Coz I wanna be a man like You

River Is Rising equates to a classy melodic rock meets AOR album.  It shines from manner in which rhythm guitar delivers more than adequate heavy rocking presence to draw in fans of artist’s previous band Petra.  That said keyboards end up elevated at times to distraction, while a live drummer would have made a more positive impression than the Farlight programming.  Putting the album over the top, however, is songwriting, noting there is nary a skip button here, although on a couple songs keyboards are too elevated for my taste.  Regardless, fans of Volz would be well served to make priority purchase The River Is Rising, although after nearly 40 years it is becoming increasingly difficult to find and deserves a much needed re-master and reissue.

Review by Andrew Rockwell

Track Listing: “Barrier” (4:33), “Joyous Grave” (4:26), “Livin’ For The Bell” (3:51), “Still Waters” (5:03), “All I Can Do” (4:39), “Heaven Is Within You” (4:37), “The River Is Rising” (5:17), “Break Out OF The Trance” (3:38), “Hold On To The Fire” (5:07), “Man Like You” (5:23)

Musicians
Greg X. Volz - Lead Vocals
Kirk Henderson - Guitars
Carl Marsh - Piano, Synthesizers, Keyboards & Drums
Jimmy Lee Sloas - Bass

Guest Musicians
Phil Keaggy - Guitars
John Lawry - Guitars