Astounding Hard Rock, with a great message to reach the mass
Kevin Lemley | 07/04/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Collide is an awesome Hard Rock album, with substantial lyrics.
Forsaken opens the album with a heavy riff, sure to rock faces off, and speaks of the despair one feels after dealing with a tragedy or injustice. Savior is a great song, starting slowly, slamming into an intro, before mellowing out for the verses, and slamming into choruses and the bridge. It is the answer to Forsaken, spoken from God's point of view. Open Wounds is a song John wrote about his father, meant to be called to any broken relationship. Not only is it one of those "wow, he gets it!" songs, but if you are the one breaking the relationship, it's a blunt way of putting yourself in the other person's shoes. A Little More, the songs first ballad, is extremely hopeful, saying "let the world crash, love can take it!" My Obsession is a praise song in one aspect, and a satire in another. Outright, it is calling God our obsession. More subtely, if God isn't your focus, it speaks to you..."why isn't He your focus? What else is going on in your life that's more important than Him?" The next song, Collide, starts off with very impressive strings...and gets worse from there. Musically, the song is just boring. Lyrically, it is an anthem for standing your ground, even when fear and temptation try to bring you down. Fingernails is basically an agressive song about never meeting your own expectations. It is also John Cooper's favorite from the album. Imperfection carries a similar theme, but from God's point of view ("tears falling down again, come let the healing begin! You fall to your knees, you beg, you plead 'Can I be somebody else for all the times I hate myself!?' Your failures devour your heart in every hour, you're drowning in your imprefections!"). Under My Skin is the second ballad, asking for God's help in a struggle. Energy is a simple worship song. Heavy, and full of praise, one of the best songs on the record. Cycle Down is about always falling short of something, a goal or expectations, but God is our cure from our cycle down."