Stairway – Bleeding Heart

Description

Bleeding Heart is the sophomore full-length album by the British metal band Stairway, independently released in the UK in 1999. The album was recorded between September 1998 and January 1999 at The Grange with Graeme Leslie and the band producing. All songs written by lead vocalist Graeme Leslie.

Featuring Graeme Leslie on lead vocals, guitar, and keyboards, Peter Jennens on lead guitar and backing vocals, Rob Jennens on bass and backing vocals, and Andy Edwards on drums.

A real surprise, this one. Surprise number one is that I thought this Midlands team had called it a day when Kingsway stopped recording UK Christian heavy metal albums a few years back. Surprise number two is that this isn’t the recycled metal riffs of Sabbath, AC DC, et al but rather a much more sophisticated attempt to put a progressive spin on those crunching guitars so that in between spells of heavy duty guitar work we’ve got some deft acoustic work and satisfyingly complex changes of musical texture. Surprise number three is that despite this reviewer being no kind of prog rocker, I’m impressed by the standard of playing, the variety of the arrangements and the sheer professionalism of the project of an album produced by Stairway’s gritty vocalist Graeme Leslie. If you’re a rocker longing for rock which has a classic Deep Purple lilt, songs that deal with themes like the Lord’s return («Red Alert») and salvation («And The Righteous Shall Be Saved») I reckon you should be getting a cheque off to these Christian rock veterans. [Tony Cummings, Cross Rhythms, October 1999]

CD tracklist:

01. Awake!
02. Rise!
03. Chasing Shadows
04. Show Me A Woman
05. Save Me!
06. Red Alert!
07. Body & Soul
08. Israels’ Lament
09. And The Righteous Shall Be Saved…!
10. Vacant Prayer

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