Artist Info:Discography Album length: 10 tracks: 38 minutes, 58 seconds Street Date: March 11, 2003
Familiarity isn't always a bad thing. For Oklahoma City-based quartet, Radial Angel, experience
is something the band certainly does not lack. Born in 1995 and named by 1999, Radial Angel has been
making a name for themselves through touring and two successful independent releases. Now signed
to Warner Bros-owned Squint Entertainment, Radial Angel possesses an accessible hard rock sound that
will seem familiar to some and a refreshment to others.
The opening track "Give" is a hard-hitting hooky opener with a catchy guitar riff reminiscent of the
sweet sounds of the vastly overlooked Tragedy Ann. Jared Taber's vocals are emotional and cover a wide
range of vocal tones with a vocal style something of a hybrid between Nickelback, Creed, and Skillet. But
the question may remain, does RA have what it takes to rival such artists? Yes and no.
Radial Angel's musical strength radiates in such tracks as "She" which offers vocal strength and range
from Taber as well as a solid melodic guitar backdrop to carry the track. Lyrically, the song shines as
an ode to Taber's future unknown wife and symbolizes his committment and pledge to her, a message sadly neglected
in secular media today. "Rain" shows Taber rivaling Creed vocally but triumphs in the message department
as Jared toils over the painful subject of his parents' divorce at a young age for him and his struggle
with seeing God as his ultimate Father figure. "Love" is a rock worship song with pop sensibilities
but doesn't reach the heights lyrically that it could. "Untitled" picks up where "Give" left off and boasts
an old school Seven Day Jesus guitar feel. "Empty Handed" is a chilling track that expresses Taber's anger
towards rape and his experiences with it through close friends of his who became victims of it,
"Why them / Why did you take their innocence / Why can't you leave them alone." The dark topics
continue with "It's Over," as the band tells the story about a friend who was abused while the album
closes with "Annabelle," a straight-up rock song about a bad experience of Taber's that he uses to urge listeners
to steer clear of harmful relationships.
Radial Angel offers a decent debut that fits in nicely with the rock scene of today. Although they
musically don't offer anything too outstanding from others like them, they lyrically offer an alternative
to the aimless angst-rock flooding mainstream music today.
- Review date: 03/12/03, written by John DiBiase
Artist Info:Discography Record Label:Warner Bros. Records Album length: 10 tracks, 38 minutes and 58 seconds
Street Date: March 11, 2003
Artist Info: 
