Band: Advent
Title: Naked and Cold
Label: Solid State Records
Release Date: 2009
Review By: Steve
Tracklisting:
- Intro
- Nothing
- Overcome
- Naked And Cold
- Fatherless
- Pack Of Fools
- Revival
- Crown Of Thorns
- Golgotha
- Pierced With Grief
- With Anger
- Out Of Line
- Blackness Of Day
I am thrilled to review Advent’s latest album Naked and Cold. In a recent conversation with Bassist Johnny Smrdel, I found out how the band came up with the name Advent. They have been huge fans of Strongarm and believe their album Advent Of A Miracle changed Christian Hardcore and their lives. I loved their first album from 2008, Remove The Earth. I had the pleasure of seeing them in concert in the summer of 2008 on the Stronger Than Hell Tour. Unfortunately, Advent opened to a small crowd and it sounded like the sound booth was intentionally trying to ruin their show. After a few songs some more people filed in and started feeling the intensity that oozes out of the music and Joe Musten’s vocals. At that point a decent size pit opened up and bodies were flying. I had a good time tossing some people around in the pit myself.
I can easily sum up the rest of this review in two words and be done with it, but I wont. The two words you need to know about this band are “COMPLETELY BRUTAL!!!!” Advent follows up a great first album with an even better second one. Listening to Advent is what I would think getting hit by Mike Tyson would feel like. Advent does not take one song off let alone one note. I feel like Mike Tyson is using my eardrums as a speed bag!
Lyrically, I love that Advent is in no way shape or form ashamed to let you know what they believe, and they have a “righteous anger” tone in their lyrics. Some of their best lyrics come from the first track they released to the public, “Overcome.” In this song Joe starts out with some questions all of us ask ourselves at some point in our walk with Christ, “The foolishness of the cross? / Salvation for the lost? / Are we deceiving ourselves for our cause?” but then Joe puts this to rest, “I still believe in a God I can’t see. / What foolish things do I cling to? / I stand accused, / I’m a fool, this cross I cling to / I’m a fool, this cross I cling to / Will not be removed. / I cling to You / I am rooted in the truth. / In the truth / You, Ancient of Days. / I steep my heart in your Almighty ways.” The other lyrics that stand out to me are in the song “Golgotha.” In this song it is cool to hear some one yell about how Christ strengthens them, “Tear me down. / Tear me down. Tear me down. / Set fire to my weakness. / Place Your word inside my heart. / Bring joy into my sadness. / Your righteousness my rock. / Your mercy is my comfort, / Your grace is all I need. / Your Name it goes before me. / Your blood it sets me free…”
The tracks that standout the most on Naked and Cold are the two I mentioned above, “Overcome” and “Golgotha.” I can’t say that these are the hardest tracks on Naked and Cold because every song on this album is just as hard as the one before. I liked these tracks the most because of the message and ferocity of Joe’s voice on these songs.
Overall: This is a solid album by what I have to believe is a band on the move. Advent comes at you hard and fast with a brutal assault on your eardrums. If you liked Remove The Earth or any good old-fashioned Hardcore/Metal, then this is an album that you must buy and buy now!