Description
Forever Mercy is the fifth and final studio album by the American alternative rock band Altar Boys, released on Alarma Records in 1989, a division of Frontline Music Group, distributed by The Benson Company. The album was produced, recorded, and mixed by Steve Griffith of Vector fame at The Mixing Lab in Garden Grove, California. Additional engineering by Dave Jahnsen.
Altar Boys features Mike Stand on lead vocals, guitar, and harmonica; Ric Alba on bass, guitar, and vocals; and Jeff Crandall om drums, percussion, and vocals. Mike Stand released his second solo album the following year, entitled Simple Expression. In 1991, Ric Alba as well released a solo album, Holes in the Floor of Heaven.
With the release of their fifth album, Altar Boys have taken as dramatic a step forward as was noticed with their fourth, Against The Grain. On that occasion us critic-types rejoiced in the forward motion evident on songs like «Heart Lost In Nowhere», which featured hooks that were actually memorable, and a sound that was accessible without abandoning their garage band gutsiness. Whatever punkish leanings the band displayed early on are all but gone on Forever Mercy, replaced by an even more commercially viable approach that still leaves artistic integrity intact. More importantly, these are the best songs yet to come out of this trio, the area perhaps most neglected on prior releases.
Part of the credit for these improvements undoubtedly belongs to Steve Griffith, of Vector, who produced the record and co-wrote four of the songs. The results are genuinely impressive – intelligent, catchy tunes focused on the themes of hope and mercy, with a sound good enough to compete for the ears of tthe college/alternative radio market.
In the tradition of bands that range from Replacements and Sex Pistols to Kinks and the Stones, Altar Boys deliver both words and music with a kind of careless abandon one could mistake for sloppiness at times. With guys like Paul Westerberg and Keith Richards, one could make an educated guess that artificial substances were as much a part as attitude, but with the Boys the question has been more like, ‘are they that bad or that good?’ I’m beginning to doubt my earlier conclusions. In fact I think they’re on to something. Maybe they are just growing up. Gosh, does that mean we have to start calling them Altar Men now? [Thom Granger, Harvest Rock Syndicate, Vol 4, No. 2]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/forever-mercy/385014226)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Forever Mercy” – 4:20
A2. “Listen Up” – 4:28
A3. “Faith!” – 4:03
A4. “The Meaning Of Life” – 4:26
A5. “Ride This Train” – 4:26
Side Two
B1. “World Burning” – 4:00
B2. “Here Ends The Night” – 3:53
B3. “Love Eternal” – 3:55
B4. “More Than Words” – 3:48
B5. “Silent Night” – 4:13
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette, 12-inch vinyl LP, and CD by Alarma Records.
“Forever Mercy” (MUSIC VIDEO)
“Forever Mercy” (Raw Music Video Footage)
CREDITS. Produced by Steve Griffith. Recorded at The Mixing Lab, Garden Grove, CA. Engineered by Steve Griffith with additional engineering by Dave Jahnsen. Art Direction by Ed McTaggart. Photography by David Dobson.
Musicians: Mike Stand (Lead Vocals, Guitar, Lead Guitar on track A5, Harmonica), Steve Pannier (Lead Guitar – Tracks: A5, B1, B4), Ric Alba (Bass, Guitar, Vocals), Jeff Crandall (Drums, Percussion, Vocals). Steve Griffith (Additional Drums, Guitar, and Vocals).
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