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Guardian
House Of Guardian: Volume One
Artist Info: Discography
Album length: 4 tracks: 18 minutes, 5 seconds
Street Date: April 15, 2009
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Never say never. When bands hang up their instruments and call it a day, there often remains a glimmer of hope
within fans' hearts that that team of musicians may one day reunite for the common goal of making music we love.
Throughout musical history, we've seen this happen -- from PFR to Poor Old Lu, and more recently acts like Living
Sacrifice, Staple, and Code Of Ethics. When CCM rock legends Guardian got back together for a show in Brazil last year,
a spark of interest reignited in the hearts of the band's four members, and the idea for "House Of Guardian" was born.
Despite conflicting schedules, new careers, and growing families, the guys of Guardian decided to stop talking about reuniting
and devised a plan to make this work. House Of Guardian is the compromise. Instead of hitting the road again
and touring the countryside (and beyond) once again, the band agreed to set up camp in the Tennessee home of a new, fifth
member, guitarist Jamey Perrenot, and not only record live music together, but capture it all on film. The plan has become
to release new songs as well as updated classics to fans via the web, in a format that allows the guys to continue on with
their current lives and still masquerade part time as Guardian.
House Of Guardian: Volume One is the debut release of this concept. It's an experiment that has become officially
realized in the form of a 22 minute webisode and a four-track EP of songs to accompany it. The first episode, which is available
to watch online for free and for purchase to download, features candid footage of the guys performing and recording in Perrenot's
home, as well as a glimpse into original guitarist Tony Palacios' studio and full live performances of two of the songs on
the EP. But while it's a treat to actually see Jamie Rowe, David Bach, Karl Ney, and Palacios back in action and performing old fan
favorites together, the real prize is the newly recorded tunes.
PFR did something similar a few years back when the trio presented a 10 song album of stripped down re-recordings for
Family Christian Stores, called The Bookhouse Recordings. For that project, PFR re-imagined a series of fan favorites, but
never really improved upon any of them. The songs had a rough and raw feel which made for a unique approach, but it felt a bit half-hearted
and rushed in retrospect. On the other hand, House Of Guardian feels like the byproduct of four guys who are not only having fun playing together
once again, but still do it with excellence. On a recording like this, you might expect mistakes or poor audio quality, but
neither are present on H.O.G. Volume One. In fact, the audio is often so crisp, it's difficult to imagine it was recorded
live in someone's living room.
A 2009 version of "Psychedelic Runaway," from the band's 1995 album Buzz, opens the collection. While Rowe's vocals don't
soar in quite the same way as recorded on the original Steve Taylor-produced project, the singer proves he's still got what
it takes to front these songs. And to remind listeners that the guys are just having fun here, Rowe slips in a quick lyrical
alteration with "Psychedelic Karl-Ney" during the song's finale. It's little things like this that will spread a smile
across the fans' faces. It would be a sin not to highlight Palacios' signature guitar work which make an appearance on this EP
as well. The solo towards the midpoint of "Runaway" is delicious, and it's clear as day that the celebrated guitarist hasn't lost his touch
over time.
While "Runaway" is a wonderful pick for this release, the gang seems to just be warming up. "Shoeshine Johnny," from
the band's 1993 album Miracle Mile, fits like a glove. Rowe seems even more comfortable here on vocals, and the band
rides it out like a walk in the park, even tossing in a fun little bluesy interlude for good measure. Surprisingly enough,
"C'mon Everyone," from the band's 1994 sort-of side project, Swing Swang Swung, not only makes the cut, but is
also sung partially in Spanish. The guys have always found success with Spanish-speaking fans, so it only makes sense
to give them a little something on a new recording. Finally, the guys stay with Swing Swang Swung and close the first
volume of House Of Guardian with the ballad "See You In Heaven." Rowe once again feels especially comfortable vocally
back in the saddle, helping to bring the song to life again fifteen years after its original release.
It's evident that a lot of time and effort has been invested into making House Of Guardian: Volume One a reality.
While this EP isn't quite the collection of new tunes that many fans have probably been waiting for, it's a wonderful reintroduction to
a band that made an impression on the Christian rock and metal scene in the 90's. Hopefully it won't be long before we're
welcomed back into the house for Volume Two.
- Review date: 4/16/09, written by John DiBiase of Jesusfreakhideout.com
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 Record Label: None
Album length: 4 tracks: 18 minutes, 5 seconds
Street Date: April 15, 2009 / June 2, 2009 (iTunes, etc)
Buy It: HouseofGuardian.com
- Psychedelic Runaway (H.O.G. Live 2.21.09) (3:16)
- Shoeshine Johnny (H.O.G. Live 2.21.09) (5:11)
- Todos Vamos Ya / C'mon Everyone (H.O.G. Live 2.21.09) (4:57)
- See You In Heaven (H.O.G. Live 2.21.09) (4:42)
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