Mike Stand says about new unreleased song, "According to my lyric book, I wrote I Just Can't Let Go sometime in the summer of 1984. The song is sandwiched between early sketches of Final Hour and a finished version of Calling to You - both of these songs wound up on GLM… The odd thing about I Just Can't let Go is that I don't believe we had ever played the song live. Whatever the case is for not finishing the song, had it not been for a cassette tape that contained all the basic tracks from GLM, this song would have been virtually forgotten." Gut Level Music landed at No. 5 in HM Magazine's "The Top 100 Christian Rock Albums of All Time." by HM's Doug Van Pelt and was described by John J Thompson (Capitol Music Group) in the book Raised by Wolves, "Arguably the band's high point". Steve Rowe of Mortification says, "GLM is timeless rock classic, outdoing not just all Christian rock releases, but equal to or better than their secular counterparts The Clash."

For fans of The Ramones, The Clash, the Replacements, both the music and the message of the Altar Boys album GLM is a force to be reckoned with. GLM did not reinvent the "rock 'n roll wheel", however, by its own merit it did set a standard from which many artists would glean. Like the Gospel itself, GLM is simple, stands on its own, and wants to let you know that in the end: "Life does begin at the Cross"

TRACKS: You Are Loved, G.L.M. (Gut Level Music), I'm Not Talking About Religion, I Question It, You Found Me, Unconditional Love, There is a Love, Calling To You, I Just Can't Let Go, Final Hour, Life Begins At the Cross

About the Altar Boys:
The Altar Boys were one of the most influential Christian punk rock bands of the 80's. Known for their high-energy, fist in the air, rebels-for-Jesus anthems, their Ramones-style punk rock and the delivery by Mike Stand, Jeff Crandall and Ric Alba, was both bold and aggressive. Their energy was simply infectious. The Altar Boys shared the stage with some of the greatest bands of their time such as The Alarm, Foghat, and Lone Justice and found themselves early on in southern California playing regularly with Undercover, Lifesavers, Common Bond, The Lifters and The Choir. The Altar Boys eventually landed major concert tours taking them throughout the U.S., Europe and South America.

The Altar Boys recorded five records in all. Their first album, Altar Boys Self-Titled, was released on MRC in 1984. Their follow-up release, When You're a Rebel was released on Alarma Records in 1986. It wasn't until the release of Gut Level Music -or GLM as it was commonly referred to- in 1986, aimed at a more mainstream audience, that Altar Boys was ushered into the spotlight, selling nearly 50,000 units.

For more info on Altar Boys visit the JFH Artists Database.

 

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