• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

September 2024

• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: PComing Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

July 2024

• Ironflame: Kingdom Torn Asunder
• Spektra: Hypnotized
• (Michael) Palace: Reckless Heart
• Mr. Big: Ten
• Dark Mile: Dark Mile

June 2024

• Kaipa: Sommargryningsljus
• Sunbomb: Light Up The Sky
• Seven Spires: A Fortress Called Home
• Atlantic: Another World
• Xeneris: Eternal Rising
• New Horizon: Conquerors
• Issa: Another World

May 2024

• Rhapsody Of Fire: Challenge The Wind
• Cloven Hoof: Heathen Cross
• Perseus: Into The Silence
• Yes: Talk (1994/2024) Reissue
• Marty Friedman: Drama
• Demon: Invincible
• The Treatment: Wake Up The Neighbourhood
• The Tangent: To Follow Polaris
• Riot V: Mean Streets
• Anette Olzon: Rapture
• FM: Old Habits Die Hard

April 2024

• War Grave: War Grave EP
• Six By Six: Beyond Shadowland
• Vanden Plas: The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things
• Praying Mantis: Defiance
• King Zebra: Between The Shadows
• About Us: Take A Piece
• Blue Oyster Cult: Ghost Stories

[ More Music Reviews ]

James Christian: Lay It All on Me

Melodic Rock/AOR

4.5/5.0

Website
Frontiers Records
by Craig Hartranft,  06.26.2013

Every nine years or so, House of Lords vocalist James Christian gets that itch and heads to the studio to record another solo album. Lay It All On Me is his third effort, recorded in his own studio in Florida. Christian gets some songwriting and playing help from friends and HoL members including Tommy Denander, Chris Pelcer, Jimi Bell and Jeff Kent; his wife Robin Beck adds backing vocals.

James Christian: outdoors.

Having only familiarity with House of Lords material, coming to a Christian solo album has some predefined expectations. The line between his personal expression on this album and an HoL album is a blurry one at the very best. Being an accomplished lyricist, songwriter, and producer, putting his stamp on either effort is inevitable. Yet, if anything, Lay It All On Me probably treads the path of more AOR melodic rock, rather than the harder rock of House of Lords. But even this could be splitting hairs.

In either context, Christian still rocks. You're So Bad, Welcome to Your Future, Shot in the Dark, and She's All the Rage finds him kicking out the jams, yet without steering the melodic rock boat into rougher waters. Alternatively, and generally, there is a milder feeling (and not because they may be ballads) to many songs here including the title track, Day In The Sun, Sincerely Yours, or Let It Shine. Fundamentally, Lay It All On Me is another showcase for James Christian's superb songwriting and slightly sandpaper raspy vocal skills. Recommended.

James Christian - Lay It All On Me (Official Samples - New Album 2013)

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Fundamentally, Lay It All On Me is another melodic rock showcase for James Christian's superb songwriting and slightly sandpaper raspy vocal skills. Recommended.

Alphabetical Index

We have to dig deep, three decades, to find the origins of Atlantic, a project of songwriter, musician, and producer Simon Harrison (then Stranger, Wisht). Initially thought to be a one-off recording, Harrison ... [ Read More ]