Is ONWARD TO FREEDOM a Ted Kirkpatrick solo album or a Tourniquet album?

Thanks, Ted - now we know!

Whatever you want to call it..... to me it's a great album!!!

In my humble opinion, I believe this to be a solo album and should be labeled as such. Aaron and Luke make appearances but only on a song each (looking at the Metal Archives, I have YET to purchase). Generally when "Bands" put out releases,... the members play on most if not all of it. I also believe your fans are intelligent enough to know the difference. Oh, and I think Tourniquet is a great band. Thanks Ted for all you do,... but I still see it as a "Solo" record.

All I can say is that I put this album along with all the Tourniquet albums, so it is going to be easily found whenever I want to listen to it.

Anyway, it is a metal album and much alike Tourniquet, so it is ok to call it a Tourniquet album. And as I stated in another thread, Antisept Bloodbath had a lot of guest musicians anyway.

Galations6.7 wrote:In my humble opinion, I believe this to be a solo album and should be labeled as such. Aaron and Luke make appearances but only on a song each (looking at the Metal Archives, I have YET to purchase). Generally when "Bands" put out releases,... the members play on most if not all of it. I also believe your fans are intelligent enough to know the difference. Oh, and I think Tourniquet is a great band. Thanks Ted for all you do,... but I still see it as a "Solo" record.

I agree I consider it a Ted album as well.  I have only heard samples on itunes and they sound NOTHING like Tourniquet and I have NEARLY every Tourniquet album.  I ONLY need collected works and to replace Vanishing Lessons as my tape is trashed.  In fact the samples I heard sound more like Hard Rock, in the vein of Ted's other solo albums, more than metal.  But keep in mind it is only my opinion and Thrash is on the light side of my listening stuff as most is THE MORE EXTREME genres.  The one thing that bothers me lyrically from what I have seen is the OVER THE TOP ANTI MEAT EATER/PUT ANIMALS ABOVE HUMANS type of lyrics that I have read.

+1

Thiago-Brazil wrote:All I can say is that I put this album along with all the Tourniquet albums, so it is going to be easily found whenever I want to listen to it.

Anyway, it is a metal album and much alike Tourniquet, so it is ok to call it a Tourniquet album. And as I stated in another thread, Antiseptic Bloodbath had a lot of guest musicians anyway.

 I agree.  This sounds almost nothing like the previous solo work and more like a Tourniquet album.

bodachi wrote:

Thiago-Brazil wrote:All I can say is that I put this album along with all the Tourniquet albums, so it is going to be easily found whenever I want to listen to it.

Anyway, it is a metal album and much alike Tourniquet, so it is ok to call it a Tourniquet album. And as I stated in another thread, Antiseptic Bloodbath had a lot of guest musicians anyway.

 I agree.  This sounds almost nothing like the previous solo work and more like a Tourniquet album.

Musically, based on the sample I have heard on itunes mind you, are nothing like Tourniquet.  Musically it sounds to by the samples a lot like the Christmas album of Ted's The main difference is that the Christmas album had many songs with no lyrics and this one has lyrics.

For someone who hasn't even bought and listened to the album you seem to have an awful lot of opinions about what it is and what it isn't....

As basically stated above, OTF sounds precisely zero like my Christmas album. Maybe instead of continuing to comment from only listening to a few iTunes samples (sample?), you might want to check out the 3 videos posted, read the review highlights, listen to the whole album on YouTube or Bandcamp for free - maybe even buy it! Then you may possibly reconsider your stance... The music world has recognized it as very "Tourniquet-like". It also has a very heavy sound in part due to the fact that the guitars are tuned to low B, which was not done on any other Tourniquet albums. Does Vanishing Lessons sound like Pathogenic? Does Crawl to China sound like Where Moth and Rust Destroy? Beethoven's 9th symphony sounds different from his string quartets, but it's all still Beethoven...

Well When I check out a sample and that sample is mellower than RED and Skillet that in no way is thrash,  in fact that track that I heard was barely Hard Rock.  Then I go and hear another sample which is only slightly heavier and I can see no sign of Tourniquet at all other than TED being on it, especially since this was billed as a SOLO album from the start.  I agree that each Tourniquet album is a little different but you can see that they all have a similar sound and are very much Thrash, with the exception of Crawl to China which has it's moments and Carry The Wounded which is still at least very much a band effort.  Then I go and read the lyrics which are over the top PETA like in the making animals more important than mankind and that we should starve instead of eating them or using them for clothing etc.  Then it is like ok so we have very mellow, which is fine, but then we have PETA telling me I have no right to eat, have pets or clothing mixed in lyrically and well why listen to any other songs at that point.  

Being the way I am I do like to hear samples of the band, or see their material in concert, before I spend my money to purchase.  When I hear "ok Ted's doing a new solo" and I honestly don't care much for the solo stuff and that is just me I generally don't like solo stuff done by members of bands thats, just me I guess.  Then suddenly I see it listed as Ted Kirkpatrik's Tourniquet" which is a fancy way of saying here is Ted's solo album disguised as Tourniquet because he slapped their name on it.  So when I read the lyrics and hear the samples I did then I see it labeled as something that it really isn't it makes me scratch my head.  So no  NoOneIsHere I haven't bought the album because I have heard some samples and I have read the lyrics and I have seen what it was billed as so why would I buy something like that when what I have read and seen I wouldn't like?

Ted as far as the "METAL WORLD"  I can honestly say I have NEVER heard of ONE of those people that were listed as raving over the album in one of your other posts here at CMR.  I mean there is no Heaven's Metal comments or Angelic Warlord.  Where is the Metal Injection, Destructive reviews?  I can't name ONE person or zine that I have heard of that has said ANYTHING about this album so putting up a bunch of Blogspots that most have not heard of, and I have listened to Christian Metal for 25 years, to me isn't the "Metal World" or the "Music World" recognizing it.  It is just a handful of nondescript blog spots who happened to review it that I have never heard of.

I have also had two friends who DID purchase it and the have both said that it is NOTHING like Tourniquet but VERY MUCH another solo album with Tourniquets name pasted on it and both have said that quite frankly it wasn't very good.  So with what I have read, heard via samples and from friends who do have it why would I consider buying it?   I really ONLY question why list a self proclaimed solo album as a band album when the other members had VERY little to do with it at all.

^Seriously, try listening to the whole album for yourself.

So, are ya Chinese or Japanese?

AMERICAN (of Scot-Irish an Puerto Rican ancestry)

bodachi wrote:^Seriously, try listening to the whole album for yourself.

and be pounded with how I should not eat meat or eat eggs or drink milk or wear clothing made of animals because that what PETA says?  An anti cruelty song every once in a while I can handle but being villainized for doing so and told how it is somehow evil to eat meat or have pets etc. is totally not my style nor is it biblical.  The lyrics have PETA written all over them and PETA is something I simply can't stand what so ever so where is the motivation to buy something that will beat me over the head with PETA themes and try to tell me I am going to hell for eating a nice thick juicy steak.

lhversaw wrote:

bodachi wrote:^Seriously, try listening to the whole album for yourself.

and be pounded with how I should not eat meat or eat eggs or drink milk or wear clothing made of animals because that what PETA says?  An anti cruelty song every once in a while I can handle but being villainized for doing so and told how it is somehow evil to eat meat or have pets etc. is totally not my style nor is it biblical.  The lyrics have PETA written all over them and PETA is something I simply can't stand what so ever so where is the motivation to buy something that will beat me over the head with PETA themes and try to tell me I am going to hell for eating a nice thick juicy steak.

...but were you beaten over the head w/a T-Bone?

Mmm...steak...
& I've done the killing.  Quickly & humanely.
I agree, we have a responsibility to treat animals properly, but they do NOT have rights.
I enjoy the tunes, even if I do not agree with EVERYTHING sung.

My statement about listening to it was in response to your (apparent) judging of the album on its musical merits.

There are tons of news posts/reviews/playlists/articles from those type mags here - plus tons in foreign languages - magazines/sites that are some of the biggest in their countries - Brazil, Netherlands, Germany, etc. way too many to post... https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tourniquet/56372703466

Also - I guarantee you there are countless "blogs" that get many thousands of views - blogs you - and I - have never heard of. The world is changing - for the good in that way. 

Maybe you just really hate the thematic message of helping God's animal creation? Kinda sounds like it... and by the way - HM Magazine hasn't been called "Heaven's Metal" like in a bunch of years...

Ted Kirkpatrick wrote:...Maybe you just really hate the thematic message of helping God's animal creation? Kinda sounds like it... and by the way - HM Magazine hasn't been called "Heaven's Metal" like in a bunch of years...

There is a disagreement on HOW we are to be stewards of His creation.

(and there IS a Heaven's Metal fanzine, last I checked) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Heavens-Metal-Fanzine/47526875933

bodachi wrote:Mmm...steak...
& I've done the killing.  Quickly & humanely.
I agree, we have a responsibility to treat animals properly, but they do NOT have rights.
I enjoy the tunes, even if I do not agree with EVERYTHING sung.

My statement about listening to it was in response to your (apparent) judging of the album on its musical merits.

Well the musical merits I have heard, the two songs I sampled on itunes, ARE less hard rock than Red is so to me that says, Solo Project NOT Tourniquet.  Then lyrically Why go any further on the samples after seeing that and hearing what I did.

Ted Kirkpatrick wrote:There are tons of news posts/reviews/playlists/articles from those type mags here - plus tons in foreign languages - magazines/sites that are some of the biggest in their countries - Brazil, Netherlands, Germany, etc. way too many to post... https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tourniquet/56372703466

Also - I guarantee you there are countless "blogs" that get many thousands of views - blogs you - and I - have never heard of. The world is changing - for the good in that way. 

Maybe you just really hate the thematic message of helping God's animal creation? Kinda sounds like it... and by the way - HM Magazine hasn't been called "Heaven's Metal" like in a bunch of years...

They (HM) also haven't said anything about this album either and there is STILL a Heaven's Metal section to that zine. Although it should be changed to Heaven's and Hell's metal zine these days from the bands I have seen in there lately And I gave up my subscription when they quit doing so much Metal and moving to Hardore and Punk.  No I don't like the PETA infused head bashing of eat meet or wear clothes drink milk  and go to hell because animals are more important than we are themes.

lhversaw wrote:

bodachi wrote:Mmm...steak...
& I've done the killing.  Quickly & humanely.
I agree, we have a responsibility to treat animals properly, but they do NOT have rights.
I enjoy the tunes, even if I do not agree with EVERYTHING sung.

My statement about listening to it was in response to your (apparent) judging of the album on its musical merits.

Well the musical merits I have heard, the two songs I sampled on itunes, ARE less hard rock than Red is so to me that says, Solo Project NOT Tourniquet.  Then lyrically Why go any further on the samples after seeing that and hearing what I did.

I'm out.

Thanks for the article Candlemass! Here's my post for NO SOUL... 

http://www.openbible.info/topics/animal_cruelty - 32 verses about animal cruelty

Track 6 – NO SOUL – featuring Dug Pinnick and Bruce Franklin
Hear the track: https://tourniquet.bandcamp.com/…/no-soul-featuring-dug-pin…
Buy the CD: http://www.tourniquet.net/audio.html

The music: No Soul is another song I wrote to best suit and compliment Dug Pinnick's amazing vocals. Dug really made the words come alive as only he can. No Soul needed vocals with soul, and Dug just has that talent and cool voice to do it. I really was blown away by the great harmonies he added too. Bruce Franklin's lead guitar goes great with the vibe. Bruce is a good friend and an awesome guitarist in his band Trouble. He came up to my studio to record and we always have a great time. I never get tired of hearing his signature tone and playing style! We even had a wildlife rescue that day as a small bird was sitting in the middle of the road, apparently slightly hit by a car. We brought to my house, where it soon revived and flew away! How metal is that – haha!


The lyrics: Do animals have a soul? If you mean – are they capable of sinning and therefore have a need to seek forgiveness? Do animals have a need to do something to insure they spend their eternity in heaven? Absolutely not. Animals are innocent. Although it may sometimes appear so – they do not covet in a sinful way, they are not vindictive in an evil way, they don’t do things merely for selfish gain – they don't lie, cheat, and steal for personal gain. They don't cut others down and build themselves up to make them feel better - all those behaviors and more are reserved solely for fallen man. However, animals often show much more of what a soul is than humans do. Pathetically, animals are often much better parents than many humans are – or get along better and show kindness to each other, for example.


I have no doubt that animals – ALL animals – will be in heaven: yes, the same, one-and-only heaven that humans go to. Not just your beloved family pet, but pig #3785 that was born, lived and died at a factory farm, never having been shown any affection or real care whatsoever - or the squashed armadillo along Highway 96 in east Texas that was no match for a car. As Edgar Allan Poe wrote in his short story Berenice, “Convinced myself, I seek not to convince.” I know God loves his creation, I know he sees all things, and I know he is just and loving. Think about it for a second – would God consider one animal important and another not worthy of afterlife? We now know pigs are extremely intelligent, like dogs. Because one looks different and was fortunate enough to interact and live with a family, only that animal gets to cross “the rainbow bridge” to heaven? I know I will see his entire creation of animals – restored in a way only God could dream of doing – and I'll be overjoyed to see them there.


So – as the lyrics say – can they not feel the warmth of the sun upon their faces? And do they not love and guard their young? And do they not fear violence? And... can they not suffer? I call these “soulish” behaviors. Feel free to merely call them “instinct” if it makes you feel better. (And no – I am not dismissing “instinct” in animals) Animals share so much of what we humans call “living”, although animals often have their “living” taken from them to suit humans. Many animals, like Canada geese, mate for life, elephants mourn the death of one of their own, gorillas have been seen to protect their young to the death. Animals do silly things – just for fun. And cows for example - often cry for days as their newborn calves are taken from them so we can drink the mother's milk instead of their babies.


The sad truth is that humans often feel a strong need to dismiss these things, as it makes it easier to use animals for whatever need we feel we have. And proudly declaring “they have no soul” is part of that. Here you go – rock out to this bluesy, doomy, soulful track... Ted


P.S. – I’m occasionally asked “Why write about animals when humans are going to hell unless we share the gospel with them?” I could write a lot about this – one aspect is that a very unique group of Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, atheist, even Wiccan – are exposed to a Christian’s view of how God not only cares about people, but cares about animals too – just as they do. My other “no brainer” answer: I’ve written dozens of songs about the gospel, from day one of Tourniquet to today. It’s not hard to do BOTH. Kind of like saying “I can’t go to work today, I have to eat”…


NO SOUL
Hung up on semantics - what’s in a word 
Draw a hard line in the sand I have heard 
Take the word “soul” we all know what it means 
But maybe, just maybe it ain’t what it seems
Humans the master race that's what we are 
Animals and creatures, beneath us by far 
Souls, they don't have one, so I’ve been told 
Subservient to us cuz that is their role
So much we share with them, easy to see 
Like they all long, long to be free 
To seek out the things we all want to live by 
Their freedom we should 
never deny, never deny
Can they not suffer 
Do they not want to live 
Are they so different – are we being fair 
To exclude them from care
Can they not feel the warmth of the sun upon their faces 
And do they not love and guard their young just as we do 
And do they not fear violence, like human beings do
Can they not suffer 
Do they not want to live 
Are we so different – are we being fair 
To exclude them from care