A fine 2nd effort from Christian Prog/AOR band AJALON
Jeffery K. Matheus | Indianapolis, IN United States | 09/27/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
""On the Treshold of Eternity" is the second release from the Washington-based Christian rock trio Ajalon - made up of Wil Henderson (vocals, bass), Randy George (guitar, keys) and Dan Lile (drums). While their previous album (1996's "Light At the End of the Tunnel") featured some memorable songs and solid musicanship, to my ears, the actual recording quality seemed a bit flat and underproduced. Production quality is certainly no problem on this second outing, and the added sonic clarity brings out even more of this band's good qualities. Since people generally like points of comparison in reviews such as this, I would say that Ajalon are on the more melodic/commerical side of the prog-rock spectrum. Those who demand mathematical time-signature workouts which change every few seconds will likely be disappointed. But if you think you'd like solid, song-oriented melodic rock, played with occasional nods to Marillion, Yes, Kansas, & The Moody Blues - then you should be be in quite comfortable territory here. Actually, the band seems to have kicked their prog influences up a notch with this second release - dipping into more adventurous musical arrangements, and even bringing in respected genre players like Rick Wakeman (Yes), Neal Morse (ex-Spock's Beard) & Phil Keaggy (ex-Glass Harp) for some well-placed guest spots. Here is a quick rundown of the tracks...the album kicks off in a way I was not expecting - with a rollicking, Celtic-flavored instrumental piece titled "Anthem Of the Seventh Day" (is that a toch of Iona influence I hear?) This segues into "The Promised Land", a melodically pleasing mid-tempoed tune that begins acoustically, then evolves into a full band arrangement (nice lead guitar by Randy George on this one!) "Sword of Goliath" is a faster paced prog-rocker that kicks up the instensity level . It features a great lead-synth line, a memobale chorus, and lyrics about God's protection "in your darkest hour" (given the title, and the current trends in the "contemporary Christian" subculture, I was relieved to find that this was not a song advocating Christian militarism.) Up next is "Holy Spirit Fire", which seems to borrow a piano riff from a Bruce Hornsby hit, and serves as Ajalon's most poppy/commercial piece. With Christian rock pioneer Phil Keaggy guesting on co-lead vocals & lead guitar, it's the kind of tuneful, feel-good song that could be a big hit on contemporary Christian radio. Definitely not my favorite here, but not one I would skip over either. "Psalm 61" is another of the band's more commercial pieces, with a soft-rock sound and some tight vocal harmonies. This one certainly would not sound out of place in a contemporary Church service. As if to add some contrast, along comes "What Kind of Love?" - a firey modern prog track that brings us Rick Wakeman's first guest spot (Wakeman plays a fast & furious Moog solo, then some incredible Hammond Organ!) The song is also highlighed by some dynamic drumming from Dan Lile, and colorful guitar sounds from Randy George. This track, and many of the others, are greatly enhnanced by the lead vocals (and overdubbed harmonies) of Wil Henderson. He sports an expressive mid-range voice with just a bit of raspiness to it (comparisons to Marillion's Steve Hogarth are not unfounded.) Next comes one of my absolute favorite songs from Ajalon, "The Highway". It's a mellow-ish rocker with an excellent guitar hook. The lyrics are written from the point of view of a struggling man who grows tired of "the World's nihilistic ways" and longs for Heavenly peace...a VERY effective blending of music and lyrics on this one! The 10-minute plus "Forever I Am" takes us back to prog-land, opening with a delicate acoustic section (with a more "dramatic" vocal style from Henderson), then kicking into a jerky drum/piano rhythm that forms the base of the song. Rick Wakeman returns for this one, with some clasically-tinged, trumpet-like lead synth. Up next is the epic (16-minute) magnum opus that prog fans will be talking about, "On the Threshold of Eternity". This is truly a breathtaking piece of music, with many of those dynamic "mood swings" that progheads love and the rest of the World will never understand! The song opens with an intense polyrhythmic section (reminicent of 80's Yes), then blends into some calming, spacey synths which bring to mind the best of the "new age music" genre (hey, I'm a huge Kitaro fan, so maybe they included this part just for me! : ) From there we enter the lyrical section - a (sung) conversation between a lost soul and God. (Henderson gives voice to the lost man, while Neal Morse guests as the voice of God.) From here the song takes many more twists, climaxing with a triumphant theme as the lost man finally surrenders himself to God's love. While I have never been much of a Spock's Beard fan, I must admit that Morse's voice is actually quite effective here - especially during the peaceful/etheral verse where God reaches out the protagonist (you'll know it when you hear it!) Lastly, the CD ends with a surprise "bonus track" that is not listed on the packaging - Ajalon's cover version of The Moody Blues "You and Me" (featured on 1972's "Seventh Sojourn" album.) Being a long-time Moody Blues fan, I am pleased to see one of their underrated "non-hits" being covered, rather than one of the more obvious choices. It's a great version, too - with a heavier drum sound, some electronic vocals effects, and a few re-arranged harmonies that give the song more of that "Ajalon" sound. On the other hand, it's amazing just how authentically Randy George replicates the fat, warm tone of Justin Hayward's guitar from the original! (I also must wonder if the album's title is not also a tribute to The Moodies, who had the similarly titled "On the Threshold of a Dream")...Also, for any listeners who pay special attention to lyrics and/or theological content, I can tell you that metanoia(or "turning away from sin"), forgiveness, hunger for God, and the Heavenly afterlife are all recurring themes with this band. There are also some lyrics (such as "some will choose Him, some choose not") which suggest that they are Arminian thinkers, not Calvinists (and eventhough I myself come from more of an Anabaptist/Christian Universalist position, I find agreement with almost all of the lyrical ideas here.) So, will non-Christians be able to relate to this album??? That's a tough call! The band certainly does not water-down their spiritual content in any way, and they do, at times, aim their messages right at the listener. Still, the lyrics have a real beauty & intellegence - and they wisely stear clear of the type of shallow Evangelical "sloganering" & "buzz words" that often sound condescending to non-believers...All in all, if you liked Ajalon's first album, I'm sure you will find the band sounding even more vital and confindent this time around. If you have never heard the band at all, then this is the best place to start! If you are, like me, a Christian who does not find much to your liking in the current CCM scene, then Ajalon could be the "something different" you are looking for. Lastly, if you are simply a fan of prog-rock, but open to Christian artists, then I would suggest that you also check out the music of IONA (an excellent UK-based band which combines Celtic sounds with etheral Yes-like prog), and PETER GEE (best known as the bassist of UK prog-rockers Pendragon, Peter has produced two solo albums of Christian prog in the style of Camel, Alan Parsons, & early-Genesis)"
The genuine power of prog-rock with lyrics that truly give g
Andrew J. Klimek | South Plainfield, NJ | 09/14/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album is the most skilled and genuine Christian rock album I have found except for Neal Morse's masterpieces. (Which could go with out saying, since Morse is the founder of Spock's Beard and Transatlantic, and Ajalon is an indie band who features Morse on the title track!) This album is actually better for a wider audience than Neal Morse because of the positive vibe throughout, no insane portions of portraying evilness. Yes, it sounds a little 90s, but this is prog-rock! You won't sound cool or get the girls for listening to this band, but you will feel inspired and see some of the glory of God through the raw power and meaningful lyric in every track.
Randy George plays bass, guitar, and other stringed instruments, Wil Henderson sings and plays some guitar and bass (especially when live), and Dan Lile plays drums. Though not officially part of the band, Rick Wakeman (of Yes) adds a good amount of synth.
All instruments play skillfully and solo throughout the album (after all, it's prog-rock). There is a good mix of tracks--some more upbeat and contemporary sounding, some more epic prog-rock type, and others more straightforward rock feel. The title track is a killer 16 minute story with ups and downs of a man coming to free himself in the arms of Christ, and has some of the most uplifting and exciting passages of the disc.
As already noted, Neal Morse sings on that track, and (if you want a second note) Phil Keaggy sings and plays guitar on "Holy Spirit Fire."
An absolute must-have for any christian rock fan, and worth hearing for any prog-rock fan for the musicianship.
Buy this album before they run out!"
The Undiscovered and Under Appreciated ...
R. Langdon | Four Oaks, NC USA | 09/05/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I cannot believe I am only the 2nd to review this CD by Ajalon. These guys deserve more exposure and a lot more interest. The more I listen, the more I like. This music is well executed, very progressive in the vintage 70's sense of the word but with lyrical content that is head and shoulders above most bands in this genre ... strongly Christian, but not preachy or reliant on cliché ... very substantive and challenging.
Most of all, there is a passion and inspiration about the tracks that grab me, sorely lacking in a lot of CCM Rock oriented works these days IMO.
The previous reviewer (Jeffery K. Matheus) has done an excellent extensive and detailed review ... not much more I can add except my hardy endorsement. If you like classic progressive rock with solid Christian lyrics, I don't see how you could go wrong with this offering.
- Scriptor
"
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1