The 80's style brand of heavy metal did not really come to a complete end until two things became noticed in the early 90s: Seattle, Washington and Nirvana. Tooth & Nail Records was born in 1993 and Wish For Eden will always be known as the first band to release an album on this wonderful label. Pet the Fish is a very simplistic album lyrically and musically, but many who were into Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden were fond of it when it released.

When Pet The Fish opens with "Questions," one will notice that familiar amplifier feedback that was so common in the Pre-Grunge days that created a very raw sound. "Questions" focuses on God as the answer as the song clearly indicates, "Only God knows what she hides, Only God can heal her pain inside." Lead singer Rob Walker has a very powerful voice that matches this style of music well. Walker's voice has a dominating quality, yet it doesn't sound intimidating or overly dramatic as some vocals in harder music tend to. The song "Green" has a rhythm to it that will remind listeners of Soundgarden's "Spoon Man." "Me" and "Fade" are probably the most dismissable tracks as they don't seem to flow very well with the rest of the album. "Blood" is the best track on Pet The Fish and has a nice intro that builds up to the chorus, lyrically dealing with an individual whose friend was killed in a gunfight, "this pain cuts deep inside, make my heart bleed, now I'm cold and all alone." The album closes with "Pet the Fish" which is a nice little musical track that is placed well in the track listing. In fact, it's almost atmospheric enough to bear an appropriate underwater feel.

Wish For Eden only released this one record and it's too bad we couldn't get to see more of them. I remember playing this disc constantly throughout the 90's. Did the songs go in much depth? No. Did the songs have three simple cords most of the time? Yes. However, this album still holds up well after thirteen years. This is a record that's just crying for you to play it loud.

- Review date: 3/30/07, written by Wayne Myatt for Jesusfreakhideout.com