Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Back in the early '80s Saint were pioneers in Christian metal and albums like 'Time's End' and 'Too Late For Living' were great examples of old school riffing. After disbanding they made a pitch at a comeback with 1999's EP 'The Perfect Life' but with a new lead singer the effect was somewhat underwhelming. Now this 2010 release shows they've got much of their old edge and energy and original singer Josh Kraner is back in the fold. As well as that newcomer Jerry Johnson handles all the guitar work with the kind of swaggering aplomb needed to pull off Judas Priest-influenced classic metal. "Sacrifice" is a dramatic song reflecting on Christ's death; the muscular title track is outstanding while other good tracks are "Here We Are" and "Full Armour" which brings in a bit of thrash influence. The original release of 'In The Battle' had a less than satisfactory sound quality but Retroactive's remastering brings out more of the rhythm guitar and the low end. All in all, if you're into old school metal with in-your-face biblical proclamation, you should check out 'In The Battle'.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.