When I first heard that The Insyderz were back with a new album, my initial reaction was "What? But ska is dead!" Nevertheless, Soundtrack To A Revolution marks the return of The Insyderz after the band took a three-year hiatus to refocus on their families and local ministries.

Insyderz drummer Nate recently said, "We consider each of these songs battle hymns - songs to equip and motivate the church to impact the world." Lyrics like "One enormous army singing with one voice / we lift our anthem high enough to give everyone a choice / will you live your last days like you're already dead / or will you sing the praise of God instead?" from the title track and "This is a call to arms / prepare for war!" from "Call To Arms" make their purpose for this album crystal clear. But is the music any good?

Musically the record is healthily diverse. "Soundtrack", "Call To Arms", and "Shoot Out" expand on the horn-driven rock sound from the band's 1998 release Fight Of My Life. Ska fans will be delighted with tracks like "Testimony", "Chosen Few", and "Better Half". Other songs like "Seeing Voices" and "Another Sleepless Night" are more punk flavored. The highlight of the CD is the emo-ska closing song "Shame On Me".

While the individual songs may not offer anything new to the genre, Soundtrack To A Revolution is diverse enough to be unique and original. Fans of the Insyderz and those who are still into ska will not be disappointed.

- Review date: 11/9/03, written by David Taylor