Ranking Rez Band Albums

Few bands are as near and dear to me as Rez. I got into them as a new Christian and absolutely devoured their catalogue. So let’s have at it!

1. Silence Screams

This thing is a riff monster. I often skip the Clapton cover, but it’s an album I return to again and again.

2. Colours

Not a bad track on here. If I want to introduce someone to Rez, this album is my pick. I think Silence Screams has a few higher highs, but I won’t argue with someone who picks Colours as their best.

3. Between Heaven and Hell

Yes, Save Me from Myself is awful. Yes, there’s still new wave touches here. But almost all the songs are awesome and the atmosphere is unbeatable. Plus Zuid Afrikan and Shadows are my two favorite Rez songs.

4. Reach of Love

I’ve listened to this one countless times. So underrated. It’s often the first album I grab when I want some Rez.

5. Mommy Don’t Love Daddy Anymore 

Another great album. The Chair is a highlight.

6. Lament 

Excellent

7. DMZ

My first Rez album and I still love it.

8. Innocent Blood

I know most put this higher but, while the strong songs are VERY strong, not every tune grabs me.

9. Civil Rites

Same as Innocent Blood, but with lower highs 

10. Rainbow’s End

Good album and a marked improvement over the debut.

11. Hostage

Overall underrated. Some of it is awful but some of it is great.

12. Awaiting Your Reply

Don’t @ me. 🤪 it’s just never grabbed me like the others. 


Have at it, peeps!

These are the ones I have:

1. Colours - This album seems to be the most hard rockin and that's the way I like it. It made me a fan of Rez instead of just seeing them as a historic curiosity.

2. Mommy Don't Love Daddy Anymore - Lots of amazing, catchy, and memorable material here. I wish my parents had been listening to stuff like Rez band because it's as good as any of the classic rock bands that were in the mainstream.

3. Awaiting Your Reply -  Cool psychedelic sounding stuff.

4. DMZ - This one hasn't really grabbed me. It seemed too soft and keyboardy.

The "Music to Raise the Dead" demo is pretty awesome. I love the track "There Will Be Fire." I need to find that one on tape.

Son of Nun wrote:These are the ones I have:

1. Colours - This album seems to be the most hard rockin and that's the way I like it. It made me a fan of Rez instead of just seeing them as a historic curiosity.

2. Mommy Don't Love Daddy Anymore - Lots of amazing, catchy, and memorable material here. I wish my parents had been listening to stuff like Rez band because it's as good as any of the classic rock bands that were in the mainstream.

3. Awaiting Your Reply -  Cool psychedelic sounding stuff.

4. DMZ - This one hasn't really grabbed me. It seemed too soft and keyboardy.

The "Music to Raise the Dead" demo is pretty awesome. I love the track "There Will Be Fire." I need to find that one on tape.

I highly recommend checking out their late 80s/early 90s stuff (Silence Screams, Innocent Blood, Civil Rites). These are some of their hardest rocking with very few keyboards.

Man, there's so much nostalgia with this band, it's hard to put them in order and it could change tomorrow. Twice, twice I had tickets to see them and both times their bus broke down and they cancelled. 
Innocent Blood/Silence Screams both are full of incredible songs.
DMZ-pure nostalgia but that VH riff to open White Noise killed us youth group kids my freshman year and we played this one loud on every retreat.
Civil Rites-the first four songs just rip, Lincoln's Train is awesome and Footprints is a great ballad
Colors, Mommy don't Love Daddy, Awaiting Your Reply-Pick em, all great.
Rainbows End-About half is very good.
Hostage-Some of it is good and I don't even mind new wave but it's not what I want Rez to sound like.
Between Heaven and Hell-About half the songs are good and the guitar solo on Nervous World is cool but the weak songs are very weak.

I wouldn't be able to rank the Rez albums. There are so many great songs. I think my top favorite songs are:

Colors: What a great praise and worship song! I love that opening bass riff and that long guitar solo. Not a shredding solo but a laid back melodic solo. 

Attention: I don't think there is a Christian song released in 1984 that was this heavy. If there is let me know! This predates the heavier Stryper material that would be released on Soldiers Under Command in 1985. It has that Judas Priest/Iron Maiden feel to it. And that solo - a killer shredding experience! The Glenn Kaiser/Stu Heiss team are 2 of the most underrated guitar players.

Tears in the Rain: I love that guitar tone. Rez usually has a dirty sounding guitar tone but on that song at times there is a clean tone much like the Van Halen/Boston tone - nice and clean. I love those story teller songs like you would hear on a Bob Seger song. 

I like most of the Rez albums. I do find Civil Rites and Rainbows End hard to get into but they have their moments. I first got into Rez in 1985 along with Petra, Daniel Band, Jerusalem and Stryper. I had Hostage and Bootleg taped off on a 90 minute tape and bought both cassettes in the summer of 1986. At the time I first preferred the lighter songs on Hostage but the heavier songs grew on me. I still like the songs like SOS and Beyond the Gun and Walk Away. I think my favorite album would be Between Heaven n Hell but that could change - that was the first cassette I bought in late 1985. I have it on CD and vinyl. Rez will alwys be in my top 10 or 15 favorite bands.

Soldier777 wrote:Attention: I don't think there is a Christian song released in 1984 that was this heavy. If there is let me know! 

Maybe some of Barnabas’s stuff on Approaching Light Speed (1983) and Feel the Fire (1984).

I only have the acoustic album, so this is my favorite Rez Band album hahaha

Too hard.  I love em all.

I never had any albums from this band. But I’ve always heard their name mentioned. I was under the impression that they are a blues based hard rock group.

LexMetalis wrote:I only have the acoustic album, so this is my favorite Rez Band album hahaha

LOL same here. Its a good album to.

Trying to listen to a few of the consensus top 3. Starting with Colours. Good stuff so far

I never cared for the Rez album Ampendectomy. It's ok not great. Haven't played the CD in several years. I would of preferred a straght forward hard rock album similar to what they were doing from the mid 80s to the early 90s. The last good original studio album was Lament in my opinion. 20 Years Live is a great live album.

I cannot rank their albums for the same reason listed above.

But my faves are from their hardest rockin era:

Silence Screams
Between Heaven and Hell
Innocent Blood

oldschooldoom wrote:I cannot rank their albums for the same reason listed above.

But my faves are from their hardest rockin era:

Silence Screams
Between Heaven and Hell
Innocent Blood

OK, I'm convinced to listen to these.