Innocence

Description

Innocence is the sole album by the British alternative rock/goth band The Children of Power, independently released on cassette-only in 1991. The album was recorded April 1991 by Brook Trickett at Soundtree Studios in Kent, England; with the band producing.

Featuring Danny Visage (a.k.a. Daniel Visage) on guitar and vocals, Matt Black (a.k.a. Matthew James) on guitar, Daz Smith (a.k.a. Darren Smith) on bass, guitar, keyboards, and saxophone, with Kris Attack on drums. Additional vocals by Miss Kristin. (“Max enjoyment, play at 11”)

Originally released in 1991, Innocence taps into the same shadowy sounds as First and Last and Always-era The Sisters of Mercy, The Cure circa Seventeen Seconds, and even Lifesavers Underground’s Shaded Pain. Slashing guitars, echoing basslines, funereal keys, and gloom-ridden vocals that don’t sing so much as intone – the requisite elements all here, especially on songs like «Bridges Burn» and «Cold Fever». And that extends to the lyrics, which lament social decline («Revolution») and request divine help («Sanctuary»).

Apparently recorded in just four days, Innocence doesn’t have the highest audio quality, and the band’s music is pretty rough around the edges. But that, along with the British trio’s conviction and devotion to their sound, adds to the intrigue and charm. But listening to Innocence also raises some questions.

How was The Children of Power received by other Christians, not to mention the rest of the musical scene? Were they seen as legit or ridiculed for not being Christian enough (or, as the case may be, being too Christian)? And to the extent that they were part of it, what was the British indie/underground Christian music scene like in the early ’90s?

The Children of Power broke up shortly after Innocence’s release, with members forming other, even more obscure projects including The Garden Party, Seranance, and Zonei. Which raises perhaps the most important and unanswerable question of all: What might’ve been had The Children Power stayed together and continued to develop their sound?

Based on what I hear in Innocence, part of me thinks they could have achieved the same status that artists like Dead Artist Syndrome and Lifesavers Underground now enjoy in Christian circles. Or, put another way, had The Children of Power stayed around longer, I suspect they would’ve been in constant rotation back in the Asylum tent at Cornerstone. [Jason Morehead, Opus, August 25, 2018]

CD re-issue

In 1991 this album, originally released on a humble cassette, was a hugely impressive demonstration that a Christian band could handle the scything guitar patterns, high pitched bass lines and hypnotically dirge-like vocals of goth rock. For those in the Church longing for the sound of the Sisters Of Mercy and Fields Of The Nephilim, Darren “Daz” Smith from Swindon, Danny Jewson from Cornwall and Matthew James from Aldershot were a revelation. Despite having only four days in the studio and working with a producer (Brooke Trickett) who normally worked on low budget MOR worship albums, ‘Innocence’ was a credible stab at creating the dark, intense textures of goth. In many ways a pioneering release which Florida’s Key Records have now rescued from obscurity. Those interested in Christian rock history should investigate. [Tony Cummings, Cross Rhythms, April 2012]

Goth is not a music Christians have embraced with open arms and even in the States with its well developed Christian music underground bands of believers in the Sisters Of Mercy/Fields Of Nephilim mould are as common as black finger nails on Amy Grant fans. Yet now this project, fronted by radical Brit Danny Visage (who is about to go into the studio again for Clarion Management) has emerged and pretty good it is too, eery, droning, dense goth with Danny’s lyrics not easy to catch over the wall of sound but when you can they speak openly of a powerful, healing God. Good stuff. [Tony Cummings, Cross Rhythms, July 1992]

Cassette tracklist:

Side One – Brother
A1. “Revolution”
A2. “Bridges Burn”
A3. “Angel”
A4. “Cold Fever”

Side Two – Sister
B1. “Sanctuary”
B2. “Ashes”
B3. “Dead Beat”
B4. “Logic”
B5. “Bridges Burn (59 Mix)”

Note: DIY release on a limited run of 200 cassettes. The cassette tape has white stick on labels with “Brother” on one side and “Sister” on the other. Re-issued on CD in the US in 2012 by Key Records.

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