Golden Resurrection - One Voice For The Kingdom (2013)

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Golden Resurrection - One Voice For The Kingdom (2013)

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“We must go faster.” If there was ever a great catch phrase, this is it. So go the words of ReinXeed/Golden Resurrection/Charlie Shred guitarist Tommy Johansson. “One Voice for the Kingdom” is the third and latest from Golden Resurrection and the prolific Johansson, who you can pretty much count on for multitudes of material in any given year. Normally, over saturation of material can be fatal for both careers and the imagination, but with this release there is blistering speed and soaring melody: a perfect recipe for greatness to begin 2013.

If you envision an imaginary checkered flag, Golden Resurrection hits the ground blazing as “The Temple Will Remain” goes from zero to 90 with double bass blasting (from Alfred Fridhagen) and riffs charging just before the distinctively perfect vocals of Christian Rivel (DivineFire/7days/Ex-Narnia). The speed doesn’t stop there as “Spirit War” elevates the acceleration level just before a slight change in tempo for both the title track and “Night Light,” the latter of which has the same feel of “Proud to Wear the Holy Cross” (from the debut “Glory to My King”). My one gripe with “Night Light” is an overuse of keys, which mimic the riffs perfectly, but actually unplugs the power. As for “Spirit War,” it has the best chorus on the release. The eponymously titled “Golden Resurrection” returns the speed level to "brisk" with another outstanding chorus.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the tendency towards an ultra Christian lyrical content, simply because it tends to turn off most metal heads (as “uncool”), even if the music proves just as good as any other similar act. Recognizing what Golden Resurrection’s mission is all about and taking the band as it is, a positive force to counter the negative, I overlook the somewhat preachy lyrical nature and not let it interrupt what really is a fantastic power metal release. After all, it’s about the music…and that shines brighter than heaven on “One Voice for the Kingdom.” Some of the albums best songs would fall in this realm, like “Heavenly Metal” and the amazing “God’s Mercy” (with that perfectly placed pause that I always “preach” about).

Now I must interject with my own sermon, as it simply cannot continue to go unnoticed just how great a guitar player Tommy Johansson is. I don’t know if it’s the plethora of practice with the multitudes of material that spew forth from his fingers or whether there is some secret additive in Swedish tap water that fosters the ability to speak through a guitar, but Johansson gets better and better. With Yngwie-like ability (sans the “solo remains the same” approach of Malmsteen), Tommy leaves me aghast with his play, especially the solo on “Heavenly Metal,” the brilliance of “Born for Strangers,” and the bluesy perfection of “Moore Lord” (which if I didn’t know any better is a tribute to the late Gary Moore). As overwhelming as it is, you almost forget that he is also the master of the keys (along with Svenne Jansson) on this album.

“One Voice for the Kingdom” starts 2013 where 2012 left off…with more great metal. Neo-classical power metal fans will eat this up. There was a time long ago when so-called “Christian metal” was laughed at and most bands put the message first and were relegated to labels dedicated to religion. In 2013, this now dubbed “white metal” has put the message behind the music, choosing to draw all fans of power and guitar driven metal. With so many great bands around, it’s hard to shrug it off. This isn’t your grandfather’s Stryper.

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