Reviewed by Chris Berry

These guys really know how to belt it and by heck do they give us a going-over on their latest album. They sure do play it hard and something tells me that they're more than just a little angry here. "God Good, Devil Bad" kicks the show off, apparently a true story of a man who has a picture of Jesus tattooed on one arm and the devil on the other - the guys don't like that so they deliver a powerful sermon on not being able to serve two masters...and how. Those guitars get thumping. And if you haven't been knocked out then take a listen to "Selective Amnesia" - I just love the way they can make their instruments do the talking. There's no doubt about it: these guys have got the bit well and truly between their teeth and they cut into you on nearly every track. "It's My Business" states their intent with regard to getting straight to the heart of the matter with lyrics like "I'm just doin' what the Lord says to do, I hope your business is watching me too." "Dare To Be Different" hammers home a message where so many others have tried and failed in the past; here it s an outright winner. Anger pervades in "I Use The J Word" which tells of D&K being banned from MTV and it's worth looking into a little further. Should they be using the lyrics in the context they have, almost abusive to others? Or should we be out there fighting the corner? In truth it's not the best track on the album, perhaps because they've not quite gone the whole hog on it, and presumably not wishing to totally alienate the audience by using any more dangerous comments. Best of the lot though is "Talk To Me", which fits a Talk Talk/Simple Minds kind of style. This is one of their finest - it has what quite a lot don't have... a sense of real purpose. They really have turned up the heat with this and have probably ruffled a few feathers along the way, which is no bad thing.

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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