Description
Whose Side You On? is the sophomore album by the British rock band Giantkiller, released in the UK on Chapel Lane in 1981, and in the US by StarSong Records, retitled Valley of Decision. (Chapel Lane was a newly established independent British label releasing superlative – and mostly cutting edge – albums by Christian artists, Whose Side You On? being their seventh release, Catalog Number CLS 8007.) The album was actually recorded in the US at Rivendell Sound Recorders in Pasadena, Texas; with Jimmy Hotz producing. Mixed by Hotz and Kemper Crabb at Rivendell.
Giantkiller features Raphael Doyle on lead vocals, Paul Herbst on keyboards, Pete Gilgan on lead guitar, Alan Hiscox on bass and vocals, and Steve Purton on drums. Rob Blessing is sitting in on saxophone.
PROMO, Retroactive Records CD-reissue
For the first time ever, Retroactive Records brings Whose Side You On? by Giantkiller to CD, a treasured release for fans of Jesus Music, early Christian rock, and CCM. Originally released in 1981 in the U.K. on Chapel Lane Records (and later re-titled Valley of Decision for U.S. distribution by Star Song), this album is the second by this pioneering U.K. Jesus Music band. Whose Side You On? represents a powerful moment in Christian rock history, blending passionate lyrics with the raw edge of early rock.
Giantkiller’s sound captures the spirit of Christian Euro rock contemporaries like Ishmael, The Predators, Bill Mason Band, and Alwyn Wall, while resonating with fans of early DeGarmo & Key, Lifesavors, Undercover, The Imitators, and The Choir. The album was mixed by Christian rock veterans Kemper Crabb (of Arkangel – Warrior fame) and Jimmy Hotz (known for Beyond the Crystal Sea), with Hotz producing the album in Houston, Texas. In 2021, Hotz remastered the original master tapes from scratch, elevating the audio quality for a modern listening experience.
This reissue includes heartfelt reflections from lead guitarist Pete Gilgan and original producer Jimmy Hotz, along with a band biography to reintroduce fans to the groundbreaking sound of Giantkiller. For those who cherish the origins of Christian rock, Whose Side You On? is a must-have gem, filled with a spirit that continues to inspire today.
Valley of Decision
[Carolyn A. Burns, CCM, February 1982]
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Living for Today” – 3:43
A2. “Hot nor Cold” – 2:57
A3. “Power to Power” – 3:16
A4. “Into the Eighties” – 6:28
Side Two
B1. “We Have to Get Together” – 2:38
B2. “No More Sin” – 3:57
B3. “Wounded Soldiers” – 2:14
B4. “Holocaust” – 3:53
B5. “Whose Side You On?” – 4:19
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by both Chapel Lane and StarSong Records. Remastered by Jimmy Hotz and re-issued on CD by Retroactive Records in 2024. (In 2021 Jimmy Hotz took the original master tape reels and freshly remastered them from scratch to treat fans to an incredible audio delight with modern technology at the hands of the original producer. Includes write-up from lead guitarist Pete Gilgan and original producer Jimmy Hotz.)
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