Reviewed by Greg Sammons

The one problem I had with the previous release by Enfield-based Cain's Mark was that it did rather depress me. I mean, you knew it was great music but it did rather bring me down, never before had a Christian band taken the genre of emo to its most literal extreme. The good news is that this time the outcome just seems to be much more upbeat, with anthemic choruses and catchy hooks. It's still emo and it's still certainly emotionally engaging but the lyrics and the overall feeling of the music suggested a much more positive outlook. The music takes influence from the some of the great rock bands of the last 10 years, who would now probably be lumped as emo but back then was just straight rock. With only three songs here, it's still probably not enough to keep their fans happy, but 'Never Alone' certainly gives a reasonable indicator of the band's most recent material. My favourite song, labelled "For Alex" but certainly intended for us all, is also perhaps the most commercially viable with its ironic but catchy anti-chorus. The most positive and overtly Christian song is simply titled "L" and is a beautiful declaration of faith and what the lyricist's friend is missing out on. It's an improvement on their last release but Cain's Mark have yet to push all my buttons.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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