Description
Reach of Love is the tenth studio album by the American hard rock outfit Resurrection Band (though at this point the band had shortened their name to REZ), independently released on the band’s own label Grrr Records in October 1993, in co-operation with Ocean Records. The album was recorded by Ed Bialach, Roy Montroy, and Roger Heiss at Tone Zone Recording in Chicago, Illinois; with Tom Cameron and the band producing. Mixed by Heiss and Cameron at Tone Zone.
With more than 20 years of music ministry and 15 albums under its collective belt, one might be tempted to perceive REZ as a quaint side attraction from “Jurassic Park.” But unlike its prehistoric counterparts, Chicago-land’s finest has once again proven its adaptability; as one of the architects of Christian rock, the band has also shown that “everything old is new again”.
REZ began its musical life as the proto-metal band, borrowing Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple riffs before anyone coined the phrase “heavy metal.” Over the years, the group has experimented with various types of rock, even occasionally bordering on new wave. But Reach of Love finds REZ returning to the blues-based hard rock it does better than anyone else. Reach of Love kicks off with «Heart’s Desire», the musical and lyrical blueprint for the album. Over a searing Stu Heiss guitar part, Glenn and Wendi Kaiser harmonize (perhaps better than they ever have before) “You are my heart’s desire/ You set my soul on fire/ You’re all I need” – thus reiterating that, as always, serving God is foremost in their hearts. That tune also foretells the band’s approach to the rest of the album – Heiss and Kasier establish grinding, hooky riffs to which Roy Montroy and John Herrin add their fat bass and punchy drums, respectively. Montroy especially deserves a triple tip of the hat; besides his exceptional bass work, Roy wrote all the music on Reach of Love (a first for a REZ album) and acted as a second engineer on the recording sessions.
As you might expect, there’s a fascinating cast of characters populating REZ’s songs, many present (or former) residents of the band’s gritty urban neighborhood. «Numbers» finds one particular Vietnam vet representing all the disillusioned and disenfranchised people that the group encounters daily; «Empty Hearts» is the story of a tragic death which occurred just outside the Kaiser’s apartment window, while «Dead to the World» is the somewhat happier tale of a local junkie/prostitute who was redeemed by the blood of Christ. Whether writing from an observational or more intimate viewpoint, REZ’s songs are always compelling, challenging and uplifting. [Bruce A. Brown, CCM, January 1994]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/reach-of-love/262536259)
CD tracklist:
01. Heart’s Desire – 3:50
02. If Your Love Grows Cold – 3:22
03. Numbers – 2:31
04. Sunrise – 4:02
05. Dead To The World – 4:23
06. Reach Of Love – 6:04
07. Land Of Stolen Breath – 4:07
08. Mannequin’s Dream – 1:30
09. Empty Hearts – 3:17
10. Thought I’d Never Love Again – 4:09
11. White Lies – 3:58
12. On My Dyin’ Bed – 4:55
13. Heart’s Desire – 1:03
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Grrr Records. Available at Bandcamp: https://resurrectionband.bandcamp.com/album/reach-of-love
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