THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(6-TRACKS)
1-BELIEVE
2-HE LOVES YOU
3-JUST A TOUCH
4-GIVE YOUR LIFE
5-LIGHT THE FLAME
6-GOING NOWHERE
Line-up:
Mike Lee - vocals/guitars
Ray Parris - guitars
Jim LaVerde - bass
Steve Whitaker - drums
The band's first, independently released EP. This one is available with two different covers; one blue, one white. Unfortunately it was only ever released on 12" vinyl and cassette.
BARREN CROSS-ROCK FOR THE KING-1986
THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(10-TRACKS)
1-DAYING DAY
2-HE LOVES YOU
3-IT'S ALL COME TRUE
4-BELIEVE
5-GOING NOWHERE
6-KILLERS OF THE UNBORN
7-ROCK FOR THE KING
8-GIVE YOUR LIFE
9-JUST A TOUCH
10-LIGHT THE FLAME
Lineup:
Mike Lee - vocals, guitar
Ray Parris - guitar
Jim LaVerde - bass
Steve Whitaker - drums.
BARREN CROSS-ATOMIC ARENA-1988
THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(10-TRACKS)
1-IMAGINARY MUSIC
2-KILLERS OF THE UNBURN
3-IN THE EYE OF THE FIRE
4-TERRORIST CHILD
5-CLOSE TO THE EDGE
6-DEADLOCK
7-CULTIC REGIMES
8-HEAVEN OR NOTHING
9-KING OF KINGS
10-LVING DEAD
Lineup:
Mike Lee - vocals, guitar
Ray Parris - guitar
Jim LaVerde - bass
Steve Whitaker - drums.
BARREN CROSS-STATE OF CONTROL-1989
THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(13-TRACKS)
1-STATE OF CONTROL
2-OUT OF TIME
3-CRYING OVER YOU
4-A FACE IN THE DARK
5-THE STAGE OF INTENSITY
6-HARD LIES
7-INNERS WARS
8-LOVE AT FULL-VOLUME
9-BIGOTRY MEN(Who Are You)
10-TWO THOUSAND YEARS
11-LOVE YOUR GIVES
12-ESCAPE IN THE NIGHT(Bonus Track On Some Pressing)
BARREN CROSS-HOTTER THAN HELL LIVE-1990
THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(14-TRACKS)
1-IMAGINARY MUSIC
2-DYING DAY
3-KILLERS OF THE UNBURN
4-CLOSE TO THE EDGE
5-GOING NOWHERE
6-DEADLOCK
7-OPUS TO THE THIRD HEAVEN
8-KING OF KINGS
9-IN THE EYE OF THE FIRE
10-ROCK FOR THE KING
11-LIGHT THE FLAME
12-TERRORIST CHILD
13-KING JESUS AND BLUES JAM
14-GIVE YOUR LIFE
BARREN CROSS-ROCK FOR THE KING-1990
THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(15-TRACKS)
1-DYING DAY
2-HE LOVES YOU
3-IT'S ALL COME TRUE
4-BELIEVE
5-GOING NOWHERE
6-KILLERS OF THE UNBORN(Live)
7-ROCK FOR THE KING
8-GIVE YOUR LIFE
9-JUST A TOUCH
10-LIGHT THE FLAME
11-DEADLOCK(Live)
12-CULTIC REGIMES(Live)
13-HE LOVES YOU(Live)
14-LIVING DEAD(Live)
15-HEAVEN OR NOTHING(Live)CD Only Track)
This is a re-release on Medusa Records. Most of the songs are remixed and are different than the original release.
BARREN CROSS-RATTLE YOUR CAGE-1994
THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(14-TRACKS)
1-RATTLE YOUR CAGE
2-HERE I AM
3-THE UNSUSPECTING
4-NO TIME TO RUN
5-SICK
6-SOMEWHERE FAR AWAY
7-FEED THE FIRE
8-LET IT GO,LET IT DIE
9-TIME FOR LOVE
10-J.R.M
11-YOUR WILL
12-MIDNIGHT SON
CREDIT:
While their debut was the hardest sound in Christendom at the time, the addition of the production team of Dino and John Elefante firmed up the metal attack, making the hooks sharper on their sophomore disc. The Elefantes stitch a thick bottom from Jim LaVerde into Steve Whitaker's rhythms to give Barren Cross a solid foundation to work from. Ray Parris contributes competent if only occasionally flashy guitar, and Mike Lee's pipes nail it all home (Check out his extended wailing on "What do you know?" in the 2nd verse of "Imaginary Music". It extends over 13 seconds climbing three times). The band roars out of the gate and only stalls a few times with a near perfect release. Best tracks here are the anti-suicide anthem "In the Eye of the Fire", which starts off with a great descending bass riff and never lets up, throwing in some tricky time signature changes along the way, "Deadlock" paints a picture of the addict ('Hot Steel, the pipe's never cold anymore, The more you feel, the more you can't let go..") and gives Whitaker a chance to show off some double-bass thump, near thrash "Cultic Regimes" rails against phony religion ("Listen to this, the Bible it says, one God's the maker of all, If you don't believe Jesus is God, MY God made YOURS, that's all!"), "King of Kings" is worship at full volume and has probably Parris' most frenetic fretwork. It wraps up with epic "Living Dead", a call to those who don't know God. Weak spots are the mandatory power ballad (hey, it was the 80s) on "Heaven or Nothing", which compares a woman's beauty with the afterlife: weak theology at best...really bad metaphor at worst. Another stinker is an anti-terrorist rant which seems to imply that the young children being indoctrinated should know better on their own ("Terrorist Child"). Bottom Line: Despite those two missteps, this is a great CD and criminally unknown. Every Christian metal fan should own this and openminded heavy metal fans will probably find quite a bit to enjoy here,too. I could have easily put all of the songs on this albums as highlights as they're all really good. The saddest thing about Barren Cross is the timing - their career had barely started when Nirvana came along and changed the entire music scene leaving bands that played anything even close to 'hair metal' as uncool. This is a great album and should be played often and loud! Released in 1987, Atomic Arena was the second (and in my opinion the best) studio album by Christian metallers Barren Cross. If Stryper gave the faithful a righteous alternative to Bon Jovi and Dokken, Barren Cross's blazing guitars and Dickenson-esque vocal delivery was a "gift from above" for metalheads who preferred Iron Maiden and Dio's heavier approach. Besides, there's just something appealing about a band of earnest Christians who drew such obvious influence from albums like Holy Diver and The Number of the Beast.Atomic Arena was a big step forward for Barren Cross. The songwriting, musical and vocal performances, and production were all noticeably better than the band's debut (1986's Rock for the King), thanks in no small part to the behind-the-scenes involvement of John and Dino Elefante. Where Rock for the King was a hard rock album with a metal edge, Atomic Arena is a polished American power metal album with amazing guitar hooks, powerful soaring vocals, and some very well-crafted songs. One of Barren Cross's best attributes is that they are viewed above all as a very talented metal band. You didn't have to subscribe to their faith to enjoy their music. Any time this band comes up in conversation, even the most jaded metal fan has to admit a grudging respect for Barren Cross's music, if not a real appreciation. There aren't a lot of Christian metal bands with that kind of reputation. That said; Barren Cross' message was never compromised. The band held to its Christian message while tacking some of the day's major social issues (terrorism, abortion, drug use, etc.) In some cases, this approach works very well (Terrorist Child, Close To the Edge), and in others it just seems clumsy and forced (Killers of the Unborn and Deadlock). Let's face it; a cautionary tale about drug use is going to have a lot more relevance coming from someone who's been there. Overall, Atomic Arena is an extremely strong metal album. It stumbles at times, but the sheer power on display here more than makes up for any missteps. I won't go so far as to call it a must-have metal album, but anyone who enjoys bands like Iron Maiden, Dio, Judas Priest, and Armored Saint could do a lot worse than checking out Barren Cross. NOTE: Atomic Arena was reissued in 2004, making this long out of print title available again with digitally remastered sound. The sonic makeover breathes new life into this classic album.
And What bout State of control that was Released in 1989, State of Control was the third, (and in my opinion the most professional).Barren Cross was in top form on this album. Everything about State of Control is first rate. Ray Parris just blazes away on the guitar throughout the album, the perfect counterpoint to Mike Lee's soaring vocals. The songwriting is intense and powerful, and the production quality is excellent. This album really showcases Barren Cross at their very best. The band does temper their metal assault with a remarkably good ballad (Cryin' Over You) that puts plenty of Hollywood hair bands to shame, and a straightforward love song (Love at Full Volume) that has little or no religious context, but in the main this is another signature Barren Cross power metal album with an unapologetically righteous message. One of Barren Cross's best attributes is that they are viewed above all as a very talented metal band. You didn't have to subscribe to their faith to enjoy their music. Any time this band comes up in conversation, even the most jaded metal fan has to admit a grudging respect for Barren Cross's music, if not a real appreciation. State of Control is an extremely strong metal album that anyone who enjoys bands like Iron Maiden, Dio, Judas Priest, and Armored Saint would do well to check out. It goes without saying that this is a must-have for Christian metal fans.
Barren Cross got back together to record a couple of tracks in late '93 for a compilation album 'Premium Cuts' and subsequently went on to record this album (their first for five years). Secular metal mag Kerrang, when reporting on the guys getting back together, said that they "...were probably the best Christian metal band ever" and judging by this album they're not far wrong. From the opening chords of the first and title track (a song about Christians who complain about this and that but who don't do anything about it) to the closing track the guys don't put a foot wrong. Musically it's pretty heavy but has some radio friendly choruses. Check out "Here I Am", "Midnight Son" and "Time For Love" with its Aerosmith feel to the mellower tracks "No Time To Run" and "Somewhere Far Away" with its superb acoustic guitar. It all adds up to an excellent album that deserves to leapfrog over British Christian bookstores notorious reluctance to stock metal albums and sell by the bushel. Word are to be congratulated for picking up rights to Rugged.(http://www.barrencross.net/music.html). you may visit my official website at(http://www.holymetalrob.com/)
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