Description
Forever Mercy is the six studio album by the American alternative rock band Altar Boys, released on Lo-Fidelity Records in September 2018. Originally recorded during the early 1990s though not released before in 2018.
In 1991 and early 1993, Mike Stand made a series of smart and passionate recordings for a future, brand-new Altar Boys project titled, “No Substitute.” Try as they may, however, the band was never able to release this record. Sadly, it was all but abandoned and thrown on the “scrap heap. The Altar Boys circa 1991/1993 are on this recording, and the record features original guitars and vocals recorded during those years. The band was/is Mike Stand, Jeff Crandall, Steve Pannier and Mark Robertson (the latter of This Train fame).
One of the earliest bands I found myself drawn to was the Altar Boys, who were among the first Christian punk artists. Yes, this sounds like an oxymoron, but it isn’t – there’s a definite theme of rebelling from the demands of the world to Christianity, and that can easily be repurposed into punk music. The Altar Boys were great, too – they were straightforward and simple at times, but they rocked.
After five records (culminating in my favorite, the more mature Forever Mercy), the Boys broke up in 1991, but not before writing and demoing their sixth, No Substitute. That album has languished unreleased since, while leader Mike Stand has gone on to a solo career and an ongoing stint with his rockabilly band, the Altar Billies. Now, thanks to the always-wonderful Lo-Fidelity Records, No Substitute has been finished and released. And it’s really neat.
I can easily imagine this record coming out in 1991, just as it is. Substitute rocks harder than Forever Mercy, but it follows the same, more mature path, with mid-tempo songs that split the difference between Springsteen and Social Distortion. It’s a rousing collection of shout-alongs with simple spiritual messages of hope. I’m a fan of «History Comes Back to Haunt This World» and the title track, but it’s all good. More than that, though, it’s a piece of history that I never knew I needed. If you know the Altar Boys, your collection is incomplete without this. If you don’t, it’s a good way to learn what they were all about. [Andre Salles, Tuesday Morning 3 a.m., October 30, 2018]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/no-substitute/1434939331)
CD tracklist:
01. Rebel Rock – 4:37
02. No Substitute – 4:00
03. Let Me See Your Hands – 3:31
04. Light of Freedom – 4:01
05. Outside in the Distance – 3:25
06. History Comes Back to Haunt This World – 5:18
07. The Kids Cry – 3:58
08. Surround Me – 4:33
09. Thousand Miles – 4:27
10. Devotion – 4:28
11. Give Our Hearts Back to God – 4:16
12. Revolution of Love – 2:53
Note: Released on both CD and Limited Edition 12-inch vinyl LP. Available at Bandcamp: https://thealtarboys.bandcamp.com/album/no-substitute
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