Album Review :
Sleeping Giant - Kingdom Days In An Evil Age

Artist:  Sleeping Giant
Title:  Kingdom Days In An Evil Age
Label:  Ain’t No Grave Records
Release Date:  7/12/2011
Reviewer:  Jeremiah Holdsworth

Tracklisting:

1.  Throne Room Militance
2.  Dead Men Walking
3.  Eyes Wide Open
4.  The Cross Is Suicide
5.  ICXC
6.  Tithemi
7.  Tongues Of Fire
8.  Jehova Shalom
9.  The Unnamable Name
10.  Morning Star
11.  Enthroned

Sleeping Giant is made up of lead singer Thom Green, guitarists Eric Gregson and Geoff Brouillette, bassist J.R. Bermuda, and drummer Matt Weir.  They’ve been around since late 2006, and have been using their opportunity, to tell their crowds about God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.  They do it not only by the lyrics in their songs, but also giving testimonies, and preaching from the stage.  I saw them in Jacksonville Florida at the end of 2009, and Thom was giving his testimony about how he slept with his best friends’ wife, who in turn committed suicide because of it.  How he later came to accept Jesus Christ as his savior, after the tragic event happened.  He wanted to commit suicide himself but God came and saved him.  An audience member then yelled “F*ck Jesus” and security came to kick him out.  Thom yelled “No no, let him stay.  Don’t kick him out for that.”  He then told him, “Jesus loves you too and wants to take away your hate and burdens,” and then proceeded into the song Whoremonger.  I’ll never forget that, and I admire Thom for showing him God’s love, when no one else probably would.

Kingdom Days In An Evil Age is Sleeping Giant’s third full-length album and it doesn’t hold anything back.  Sleeping Giant moving to Ain’t No Grave Records really worked in their favor, because it allowed the band to get a bigger budgeted recording, which might not have been possible with Facedown Records.  Everything you’ve come to love,(or didn’t love), about the band has been brought out, but to the fullest.  First I start off with the musicianship.  The drumming on this album blows anything prior out of the water.  Matt Weir sounds like he could compete with the best that’s out there, and adds complexity that wasn’t there previously.  Wild double bass flurries and blast beats dominate most of this album.  The guitar riffs are also more complex, and a lot faster at times, as well.  The trade offs between Geoff and Eric, really helps bring this album to life.

Lyrically the album has more of a worship and preaching feel then ever before.  “Throne Room Militance” is about living for the kingdom and destroying the enemy that tries to take us down.  There’s only one hope / Kingdom / It’s the man Christ crucified / So we live and die for the secret life / And to the enemy of our souls / We’ve come here to destroy  “Dead Men Walking” tells about prophesying the Word to all the unsaved.  To the dead men walking.  “Eyes Wide Open” is a prayer to God that we would stop looking at the problems and ignoring the real issues.  That we pray with our eyes open so we can see all the injustice that constantly surrounds us.  “The Cross Is Suicide” is about dying for the sake of the cross.  The cross is suicide / We are suicide / All should come and die / Not for the symbol / But for the one who is symbolized  “ICXC” is about the coming wrath of God.  Jesus why did you end up dead? / There is a rage / You breathe holy terror / Stronger than all of our pride / Oh holy terror / Drop a bomb on the inside / Kingdom violence / So necessary  “Tithemi” is a song about how everyone and everything will bow down to Jesus name.  “Tongues Of Fire” is about speaking the Word Of God to all the earth.  “Jehovah Shalom” is a straight forward worship song about God’s ultimate supremacy over everything.  Jehovah Shalom / You are presence / You are joy / You are my future / You are my past / You are faithful / You are true / You are judgement / Only your justice remains  “The Unnamable Name” is a song for all the martyrs and oppressed that God will avenge the blood of the saints.  “Morningstar”  is about anticipating the return of Jesus Christ.  The last song “Enthroned” is a piano driven worship song about encountering Christ When I realize the life you gave / Bringing me to the light / Like the scales have finally dropped from my eyes / You restored my sight / Now I can find / We are chosen / We are called / We belong to the Kingdom  There were a couple of things, here and there, that I wasn’t sure what was actually meant lyrically.  Even after reading all the song explanations, I didn’t quite get the answer I was looking for, to help clear a couple things up.  It’s nothing that prevented me from being able to enjoy this album, but it did leave me scratching my head.

Overall:  Musically this album is kicking on all cylinders.  If you were a fan of Sleeping Giant before, then you will definitely be impressed with this release.  If you weren’t a fan then I definitely recommend checking this one out, because this isn’t the same Sleeping Giant from the past.  I also recommend getting the deluxe edition, because the three bonus tracks, are just as good, if not better, then most of the songs on the regular album.