EAST WEST
"The Light in Guinevere's Garden"
(Sony; 2001)
Reviewed by Jeff Rogers
East West have bands like P.O.D. and Project 86 to draw inspiration
from but they also have bands like Staind and Puddle Of Mudd to tug on when their sound needs identifying. The start of this disc grows into a full-on battle for your senses. On one hand you have Mike Tubbs singing and screaming his lungs
out and, on the other, you have Mike “House” Housen and James “JJ” Jenkins combining guitar and bass to displace your organs if you get too close to your speakers. Then
... on both hands ... you have Bobby Vengura beating his drums hard enough to stop your outdated Swatch.
These guys have an alternative edge to them, plus they have a melodic heavy metal style,
too. Being labeled under Christian hardcore, they have that fist-raised fan always wanting more. They took a break after their
2003 CD entitled “Hope In Anguish” and haven’t released anything since
deciding instead to take a long break and spend some time with their families.
I own a handful of hardcore CDs and this one hangs like an air freshener when I’m not playing
it. The music on this CD offers something different with each song. It may begin with an odd intro or a spoken
word ... sometimes it even slows down to sound a little like U2. The point is that it may be a few years old but the array of choices keeps
"The Light in Guinevere's Garden" fresh with each listen.
East West: Mike Tubbs - vocals; Mike
"House" Housen - guitar; James "JJ" Jenkins - bass; Bobby
Vengura - drums.
For more information, check out http://www.tedsu.com/other/oldwebsites/eastwest/index.html
or http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/artists/EastWest.asp.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2007 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 27 Oct 2008 23:10:04 -0600.
