Band: Hearts In Stereo
Title: In The Shadows Of Giants
Label: Independent
Release Date: 2009
Reviewer: Shawn H.
Tracklisting:
- In The Shadows Of Giants
- Hit The Road
- Let It Go
- I’m Still Him
- I Need You
- Don’t Say
- Come Down
- Pop Song
- Always Be There
- Who Am I
- I’d Rather Die
Mini-Bio (from Myspace):
With their new album In The Shadow Of Giants, Hearts in Stereo bursts onto the indie scene with a fresh explosion of rock. 5 guys based out of Ottawa Ontario, Canada, ready to rock and do what it takes to sway the crowd into a head banging toe tapping mosh pit trance. Strong vocals with razor sharp guitar leads, accompanied by tight, uniformed drumming and bass that lands blow after blow to your solar plexus.
In The Shadows Of Giants is the new bands idea of stepping into a scene full of giants. Not only musical, but spiritual and otherwise. Tired of listening to people say you will never go anywhere, the front man, Joshua Barbour decided to forget those words and endeavored on this rock project. “It was finally time, and after years of trying and failing, I finally really feel like I’m in the right place with this project and doing what God has called me to do.” Stepping up Joshua started writing in his home studio with no one but himself. Soon after Patrick Vezina the talented, young drummer joined up, and solidified the bond between guitar and drums and things started happening. “Other members came and went, but now we finally have our family.”
From the deep words of Here inside me to the catchy shallowness of Pop Song, this album is the bands hard earned contribution to the world. Hoping to prove staying power, the band has decided to fully pursue this life. “It’s not all about the money or fame, it’s about doing what God has called me to do!” H.I.S. hopes to make an impact on today’s youth by spreading Gods love through music and lifestyle, by living a life reflecting Gods love and staying true to His word.
You can check them out whenever they play near you. Their powerful stage show will move you, and stay with you for a long time.
CD Review:
It’s not often you see musicians these days where the main vocalist is in his 30s, with the rest of his band being in their early 20s. Hearts In Stereo is the perfect example. These guys come in guns loaded, with the title track (also the intro track) with words of hope/wisdom to the listeners, speaking of how we have to overcome the giants. “Hit The Road” follows in suit, with a cry out to God to show us the “road” to follow in life. Just when you think this album is gonna be a hard rock album, “Let It Go” shows you that these guys are willing to try multiple genres, bringing you a alternative/rock song that doesn’t take away any of H.I.S powerful mixture. The alt/rock is short lived, with “I’m Still Him” bringing Josh’s grungy, hard rock vocals back. These guys even take a MAJOR risk by including a pop song, naming it coincidentally “Pop Song”, but it’s all in good humor because this song actually stands out on the album. The final track, “I’d Rather Die”, is one of few times you’ll hear screams on the album, but this song could easily be the claim to fame.
Overall:
Seriously, these guys should have been signed to a label months (if not years ago). The chemistry that these 5 young males have is something rarely seen in the indie scene of our current generation. Yes, there iare small adjustments that could be made (consistency in genre of music on the album), but all in all, the diversity actually helps to keep the listeners attention.