Barren Cross

Educate me, please. Earlier today I picked up Atomic Arena from the used bin for $3.99 (good deal?). This is the first thing I've ever heard by them and it's really good. For some reason I was expecting thrash, not 80s metal. It's really good, though. I see they've got four other full-length albums and an EP. How hard are these to find? And are they all worth getting? NLTM offers a good argument for finding them all.

Sounds like a good price - in order, IMHO, the CD's rank 10 - Atomic Arena 2) State Of Control 3) Rock For The King. I never liked rattle your cage or the live cd

Great band!

Barren Cross is one of my fave H.M. bands, Christian or Non... "Atomic Arena" ranks in my top ten of all time and $3.99 is an EXCELLENT deal for it!

Now you need to find the follow up STATE OF CONTROL!

Sweet! One great thing about Newbury Comics is that they have a lot of used CDs, but only put a fraction of them in the bins. Under the bins, in cubby holes, there's boxes full of more used discs. Most people don't know this, or don't bother looking (it is kind of a pain on the legs). I didn't even know about it for a long, long time. One day my brother (who has a learning disability) was like, "Did you look down here?" I was like WTF?! Haha. Every Newbury Comics is like this. You can find some great overlooked used CDs there.

I've been looking for that Steelheart's Wait CD for a long time, and I found that today as well. Not a bad day.

All Barren Cross albums are solid. Maybe you should check the Ultimatum distro, and get 2 for 1?

Atomic Arena is my favorite of the four albums, with State of Control coming in a very close second. State of Control is ever so slightly more commercial sounding, yet still pretty heavy and very catchy. Rock for the King is a bit on the cheesy side, but then I don't mind a bit of cheese on my meat, or on my metal! It has a bit of an Iron Maiden sound mixed with Stryper, if you can imagine that. The last album they put out was called Rattle Your Cage and is pretty heavy with a slightly more modern production. The EP would be the hardest to find. It was independently recorded and is only available on vinyl. There are two versions of the vinyl, one is white with a blue logo, the other is blue with a white logo. Same songs, same mix, just different covers.

Either way, one of my favorite bands from the 80's.

ult

Yeah, I actually hear a lot of Bruce Dickinson in this vocalist. Very similar at times, I think.

"I don't mind a bit of cheese on my meat"


Just the fact that Scott uttered (typed) a sentence such as this made me blow diet Pepsi out my nose.....

I thought I was going to chunder!

Barren Cross has always remained one of my favorite bands. Even when I was getting into speed and thrash metal. I still always went back to their powerful lyrics and great metal sound. I happen to like there first two very much. But Atomic Arena is probably my favorite. Killers of the Unborn is a sick tune. Not sure which one thats on.

$3.99!!!! What a steal. That is my favorite B.C. platter. I have it on tape but not cd.

ultmetal wrote:

Rock for the King is a bit on the cheesy side, but then I don't mind a bit of cheese on my meat, or on my metal!

Rock For The King contains my all time favorite cheesy lyric in the history of metal, Christian or non, in the song "Believe":

"Better than pot, JEEEEEEEESUS ROOOOOOOCKS!!!!"

Twenty-odd years after I first heard it, I still chuckle whenever I hear that lyric

ultmetal wrote:

Atomic Arena is my favorite of the four albums, with State of Control coming in a very close second. State of Control is ever so slightly more commercial sounding, yet still pretty heavy and very catchy. Rock for the King is a bit on the cheesy side, but then I don't mind a bit of cheese on my meat, or on my metal! It has a bit of an Iron Maiden sound mixed with Stryper, if you can imagine that. The last album they put out was called Rattle Your Cage and is pretty heavy with a slightly more modern production. The EP would be the hardest to find. It was independently recorded and is only available on vinyl. There are two versions of the vinyl, one is white with a blue logo, the other is blue with a white logo. Same songs, same mix, just different covers.

Either way, one of my favorite bands from the 80's.

ult

cant really add much more to this reply. I agree with all of it. If you like AA, you gotta get the other 3.

I would agree with all of the above. With a few caviats of my own.

Atomic Arena is a great Album. They made a video for Imaginary Music. I saw'em a couple of times on that tour.

Rattle Your Cage ranks number 2 in their catalog in my opinion. Definatley the heaviest of their catalog with the best guitar tone Ray Parris ever had on disc.

Rock for the King the original version is by far the best. they added 3 songs to their original ep (drum tone is different, particularly the snare). Dying Day & It's All Come True are two of the best songs they ever wrote.... this album was remixed by Ronnie Montrose and was released with 5 live tracks (left over from their live debacle..) The remix is terrible. If you can find the original on cd (good luck!) that's a collectable. The remix simply stinks..

State of Control has some good material on it, my favorite song is 2,000 years, proggy. One of the best screams ever on that track. Mike Lee shows why is was a class singer. I like this disc, but as Ult said more commercial. I felt it sounded more 'sterile'.... elephante brothers at their worst...

Hotter than Hell this disc was put out to fulfill contractual obligations to Engima... it stinks. the performance was lousy as was the recording.... Soldier opened for them at that show in L.A. and the engineer had less than flattering things to say about BC's performance.

through out their catalog very Metal not thrash or anything. Iron Maidenish/Priestish... Always liked 'em...

".....and we will, duhna duhna da dahhhh, ROCK!!!!!"

NOOOO, STAY ALIVE BARREN CROSS THREAD, NEVER DIE!!!!!

uh..... OK


2k yrs ago there lived a man

I have the remixed version of Rock For The King in my CD player right now. I think its great save for the live tracks, which are extremely annoyingly interspersed throughout the disc.

I dont have the original, so I have nothing to compare it to.

The songs on it are classic. I can't get "Give Your Life" out of my head right now.

".....give your life to Jesus, he can make you STRONNNGGGGG!!!!!"

I've got all of them on cd, with the exception of State of Control and
the ep (never have had that one). My Rock For the King is an original,
so I have no desire for the remix, especially after what I've heard
about it.

Quote :

Yeah, I actually hear a lot of Bruce Dickinson in this vocalist. Very similar at times, I think.

There are a lot of similarities, but I think Mike Lee is a bit better vocalist.

And if your in SoCal, B/C will be reuniting for Cornerstone California. Sat Sept 29 at 10 PM , just after Deliverance and before Bloodgood.

bigjtink wrote:

And if your in SoCal, B/C will be reuniting for Cornerstone California. Sat Sept 29 at 10 PM , just after Deliverance and before Bloodgood.

Sweeeeet. They really oughta record one of these "reunion" gigs for a live album or DVD...

kethdredd wrote:

I have the remixed version of Rock For The King in my CD player right now. I think its great save for the live tracks, which are extremely annoyingly interspersed throughout the disc.

I dont have the original, so I have nothing to compare it to.

The songs on it are classic. I can't get "Give Your Life" out of my head right now.

The original mix is 100 times better