Being in the business of breathing life into lost and forgotten Christian hard rock and metal, Roxx Records also brings out new music spurred from that life. Brad Smith was the lead guitarist for the band Latter Reign that played an interesting mix of experimental grunge and metal in the early 90s. After a couple of years and releases, the band called it quits. After a few decades. Luis Cardenas (Latter Reign, Renegade, Solo) and Brad collaborated on releasing Latter Reign’s catalog and completing the third album, “Order to Chaos,” for Roxx. They both realized how much they enjoyed working together again and so set to work on something new which turned into a Luis Cardenas solo album called “Stages.” They then set their eyes on another project.
It was at that point the idea of Brad doing his own solo album came up. Brad told Luis that he had given all of his best riffs and songwriting for the “Stages” album, leaving nothing in the tank for a new album. Quoting from the promo, Brad in his own words explains:
“In faith, I picked up my guitar and the Lord blessed me like drinking water from a fire hose! Broken Bones and Bullet Holes was the first song, and provided the inspiration and attitude for the whole project. Ten songs were written and rough-tracked in a month!”
Armed with divine inspiration, Brad and Luis partnered up on this project leading to Brad’s debut album.
This album shows that I should not come in with any expectations. If one were talking Broken Bones and Bullet Holes, I’m expecting riding down a steep grassy hill in a shopping cart with folks shooting at the wheels. I know that’s weird, but that is my head. What comes out is not that sort of chaos, but something that was surprisingly chill and varied. The album feels like bluesy classic rock with some forays into doom a la Black Sabbath. Brad’s guitar work comes through clearly as his main instrument, but it is balanced where it feels like a full band effort, even to the point that I could hear the songs as a jam band playing in some roadhouse somewhere. That’s hard to translate in a solo project. To add to the image, his smoky vocal timbre seals the deal as a blues rock outfit.
The songwriting is quite good and varied making it quite easy to listen to. It is not only the different shades of genres that are being used such as blues rock on “Bullet Holes” and “Easy to Lie,” metal on “Givin’em Hell” and “Sea of Truth,” and some experimental episodes on “Bondo,” but also the way he builds interest through the various changes within the songs. “Troubles Enough” is a good early track on the album that has a cool positive uplifting feel to it with a catchy chorus. “Hourglass and Avalanche” shows a more progressive side through the patient build up from rather choppy acoustic guitars into a fuller instrumentation. On the back half, “Givin’em Hell” and “Sea of Truth” are good catchy tunes with a heavy metal support. Brad has a good ear for song arrangements.
And he ain’t bad on the instruments either. Known as a guitarist, the excellent lead guitar work and solos come as no surprise. The solos feel fresh with new ideas each solo which is a relief. I have grown weary of the Yngwie etudes. But also on bass, Brad adds interest, especially evident in “Broken Bones.” There are some interesting electronic/synth effects sprinkled throughout especially on “Givin’em Hell.” Luis on drums does a good job of keeping everything together and moving forward.
However, there are some spots that didn’t fully nail it for me. The production feels slightly campy. It isn’t bad per se, but compared to the much cleaner production on my recent reviews, it sounds slightly muted. Going back to my expectations, I felt there could have been more pep in the songs as they mostly were slower lumbering tunes. I also think that the album would have been better if it ended after “Flame and Fortune” as “Bondo” lives up to its name as it is filler with some incongruous noisy experimentation. I don’t mind that sort of thing, but it falls flat as the last thing you hear on the album.
However, for a great faith-based hard rock album, this checks the boxes. Brad showcases some great writing and instrumental performance that lands to my ears probably a little differently than he intended, which is not a bad thing This album would make a good soundtrack for a long drive somewhere, out in the country or through the city on an expressway. If you have a taste for older hard rock and the roots of metal, this is worth checking out.
Rating: 7.5/10
Written by Sean Bailey
Tracklist
1 – Broken Bones And Bullet Holes
2 – Late Is The Hour
3 – Troubles Enough
4 – Lift Me Up
5 – Hourglass And Avalanche
6 – Easy To Lie
7 – Give’em Hell
8 – Becoming Dangerous
9 – Sea of Truth
10 – Flame And Fortune
11 – Bondo
Personnel:
Brad Smith – vocals, guitar, bass, and keyboards
Luis Cardenas – drums
Release Date: November 1, 2024
Record Label: Roxx Records
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | Bandcamp
Video (audio) for Broken Bones And Bullet Holes
Video (audio) for Give’em Hell