Re: Four Star Revival

by Benny4SR Fri Mar 06, 2015 4:15 pm

That's awesome! 2 completely different sets of favorites! Thanks guys!

by Kerrick Fri Mar 06, 2015 4:24 pm

It's always a good sign when a band doesn't have unanimously best or worst songs. It means their music is creative, dynamic, and unique enough to affect people differently!

by alldatndensum Fri Mar 06, 2015 6:13 pm

I was playing this today and it just melts my face. Does anybody else wish that the singer also was the frontman for The Brave? I like the new female vocalist, but this dude could have nailed it.

by Professor_Valconian Fri Mar 06, 2015 6:42 pm

Benny4SR wrote:Thanks guys! That is greatly appreciated! I'm curious though, what are your favorite songs from the album?

I've got to say there is not a weak song on this disc.

If I had to pick, at the moment my favorites are: Perfect Life, Broken Man, Fade

Superlatives of this album in no particular order:
> A band (and musician) who has mastered what seems like the vanishing art of the guitar solo ... and its use in virtually every song. Rock on.
> A completely top notch vocalist. This guy can hang with the best of them.
> Really really solid songwriting.
> Melody and hooks galore.
> Lyrics which unashamedly point people to what should be our reason for living ... the name above all names, Jesus Christ.
> Old school metal sound.

I hope they go on to make lots more music.

by Benny4SR Fri Mar 06, 2015 8:02 pm

Wow! Thanks guys! We really appreciate all the positive feedback! I'll share it with the boys tomorrow!

by Professor_Valconian Sun Mar 08, 2015 6:39 pm

OK. Today my favorites are ...

> Red
> Faith
> Hold On
> Somewhere To Run To

I can't help but think if this album had been released in 1987 or 88 these guys would have been HUGE. Maybe they still will be Very Happy

Here's hoping.

by Benny4SR Mon Mar 09, 2015 9:43 am

Awesome! Thanks brother!

by Benny4SR Mon Jun 08, 2015 11:32 am

Professor_Valconian wrote:
Benny4SR wrote:Thanks guys! That is greatly appreciated! I'm curious though, what are your favorite songs from the album?

I've got to say there is not a weak song on this disc.

If I had to pick, at the moment my favorites are: Perfect Life, Broken Man, Fade

Superlatives of this album in no particular order:
> A band (and musician) who has mastered what seems like the vanishing art of the guitar solo ... and its use in virtually every song. Rock on.
> A completely top notch vocalist. This guy can hang with the best of them.
> Really really solid songwriting.
> Melody and hooks galore.
> Lyrics which unashamedly point people to what should be our reason for living ... the name above all names, Jesus Christ.
> Old school metal sound.

I hope they go on to make lots more music.

I really appreciate your assessment of the album! Looking back at this I think I missed your comment about guitar solos. I'm not sure if I've mastered anything, but it does seem that most songs anymore either have full on shredding, or little to no guitar solos to speak of. I'm definitely not a shredder. I always try to make my solos a part of the song. Kind of like an extension to the melody, if that makes any sense. That being said, they are not always as noticeable. Which is fine with me, because the song itself is really more important. Doesn't matter how good the guitar solo is, if the song itself isn't any good. Do you think people are really into guitar solos anymore, if they are not shred fests? Just curious. This may warrant a new topic.

by Black Rider Mon Jun 08, 2015 12:31 pm

Favorite song is Somewhere to Run to. I'm a sucker for a buildup from the basic strumming with vox to crescendo. There are no weak songs and this old rocker loves guitar solos.

by Benny4SR Mon Jun 08, 2015 1:05 pm

Black Rider wrote:Favorite song is Somewhere to Run to. I'm a sucker for a buildup from the basic strumming with vox to crescendo. There are no weak songs and this old rocker loves guitar solos.

Thanks brother! I'm really surprised we haven't had more traction with Somewhere To Run To. I thought that song had more radio potential than some of the others. Fade has kind of been the sleeper out of the bunch. More people seem to like that one than I would have thought.

by Kerrick Mon Jun 08, 2015 1:34 pm

^Fade is my favorite song by a long shot! Love it.

by Black Rider Mon Jun 08, 2015 1:45 pm

Fade has a Dio feel imo.

by Benny4SR Mon Jun 08, 2015 2:05 pm

Kerrick wrote:^Fade is my favorite song by a long shot! Love it.

Thanks brother! I like how the solos turned out on that one. They're the only ones I didn't have worked out beforehand. Truthfully, I had been struggling coming up with a solo that I liked on that song and once we were in the studio it was no different. I just couldn't make it work. So once I figured out what I was trying to do wouldn't work, I had them roll it one more time and just went for it, completely off the cuff. And that's what ended up on the album. The outro solo was done in a similar fashion. When we originally wrote the song, it had an actual ending. We didn't decide to do the fade out until we were in there recording it. We scrapped the ending we had, and just played the chord progression for a bit at the end to leave room for the fade. So I thought "I'll do another short solo at the end!". But I didn't have anything worked out because we hadn't been playing it with a solo there, so once again I just went for it and thankfully it turned out decent! Not sure if anyone cares about those kind of details, but there it is! Lol!

by Benny4SR Mon Jun 08, 2015 2:14 pm

Black Rider wrote:Fade has a Dio feel imo.

Certainly some Dio influence in there!

by Staybrite Mon Jun 08, 2015 3:57 pm

Fade is one of my favorites as well (along with Red and Faith). But as other's have said there isn't a bad song on the album.

by Kerrick Mon Jun 08, 2015 4:00 pm

Staybrite wrote:But as other's have said there isn't a bad song on the album.

Correct!

by Benny4SR Tue Jun 09, 2015 5:30 am

Staybrite wrote:Fade is one of my favorites as well (along with Red and Faith). But as other's have said there isn't a bad song on the album.

Thanks brother! We really appreciate that! Hopefully we can continue that sentiment with the next album!

by Candlemass Tue Jun 09, 2015 8:27 am

You guys stink! (woe to you when all men speak well of you.)

Just trying to help out...

by Benny4SR Tue Jun 09, 2015 8:56 am

Candlemass wrote:You guys stink! (woe to you when all men speak well of you.)

Just trying to help out...

We need all the help we can get! There was someone earlier in this thread that said they didn't like the album though!

by Benny4SR Tue Jun 09, 2015 9:55 am

Here's the latest review for "Knights of the Revival" from Dedicated Rocker Society Music Magazine!

http://thededicatedrockersociety.blogspot.com/2015/06/cd-review-knights-of-revival-by-four.html

by metaldude Tue Jun 09, 2015 10:23 am

Benny4SR wrote:There was someone earlier in this thread that said they didn't like the album though!

by Benny4SR Tue Jun 09, 2015 10:47 am

^That's hilarious!

by Professor_Valconian Thu Jun 11, 2015 8:18 am

Benny4SR wrote:Here's the latest review for "Knights of the Revival" from Dedicated Rocker Society Music Magazine!

http://thededicatedrockersociety.blogspot.com/2015/06/cd-review-knights-of-revival-by-four.html

Wonder if the reviewer is a Christian. If not, the following quote is very insightful ... and should be convicting for those whose intent is to create "Christian music" (I will let each musician or group of musicians determine whether or not that includes them).

"Four Star Revival is committed to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, a message that rings loudly throughout their new album. The cross stands at the center of the lyrical content - an emphasis that is missing in a lot of Christian music these days."

by Professor_Valconian Thu Jun 11, 2015 8:52 am

Benny4SR wrote:I always try to make my solos a part of the song. Kind of like an extension to the melody, if that makes any sense. That being said, they are not always as noticeable. Which is fine with me, because the song itself is really more important. Doesn't matter how good the guitar solo is, if the song itself isn't any good. Do you think people are really into guitar solos anymore, if they are not shred fests? Just curious. This may warrant a new topic.

What you said makes perfect sense, and you have clearly achieved your goal on Knights of the Revival.

Regarding guitar solos, my preference is that hard rock/metal should ideally be guitar driven ... meaning that if at some point in the song the guitar does not take center stage (even if only for a short time), then an opportunity has been lost. I don't think metal needs to be dominated by shredding, but I really do pay attention to and look forward to examples of tasty riffing. I look for the same thing (though in a different style) when I listen to blues. I gravitate to bands ... and songs, that contain a clear demonstration of that kind of talent. Acts like Pink Floyd (David Gilmour), Gary Moore, Buddy Guy, Eric Johnson, Van Halen, Dokken (George Lynch), Whitecross (Rex Carroll), Guardian (Tony Palacios) to name only a few. I think you find this clear leaning in 80's metal, but a lot less so today. Not every song needs to feature sick guitar skills, but when none of them do, it's kind of a bummer.

Hard rock/metal as a showcase for the guitar reminds me of the lyrics from Rush's epic 2112 album ...

What can this strange device be?
When I touch it, it gives forth a sound
It's got wires that vibrate and give music
What can this thing be that I found?

See how it sings like a sad heart
And joyously screams out its pain
Sounds that build high like a mountain
Or notes that fall gently like rain

I can't wait to share this new wonder
The people will all see its light
Let them all make their own music
The Priests praise my name on this night

by Benny4SR Thu Jun 11, 2015 10:00 am

Professor_Valconian wrote:
Benny4SR wrote:Here's the latest review for "Knights of the Revival" from Dedicated Rocker Society Music Magazine!

http://thededicatedrockersociety.blogspot.com/2015/06/cd-review-knights-of-revival-by-four.html

Wonder if the reviewer is a Christian. If not, the following quote is very insightful ... and should be convicting for those whose intent is to create "Christian music" (I will let each musician or group of musicians determine whether or not that includes them).

"Four Star Revival is committed to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, a message that rings loudly throughout their new album. The cross stands at the center of the lyrical content - an emphasis that is missing in a lot of Christian music these days."

I don't know if the reviewer is a Christian or not, but the Dedicated Rocker Society Music Magazine is not a Christian based review source. They cover pretty much any style and genre of music. I thought it was pretty cool that they pointed to the message being clear.

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