The Second Great Awakening

There has been something of a resurrgence of "traditional" heavy metal since the 1990's, though its roots lie in doom metal that has persisted since two decades earlier. This form known as traditional metal has been applied to alot of bands, including Black Label Society among others but I honestly feel that Fireball Ministry is about as close to that feel as I've heard yet. I can't quite spell out the characteristics of traditional metal, since I'm not entirely sure what they are as every genre of metal is disputed in some way. For instance, this site labels this band as a stoner / doom metal band in which I personally disagree. As Azmodes stated before me, I think of bands like Kyuss, Solace, and Electric Wizard as stoner/doom metal. When I hear this band, I hear something else that is not entirely in line with those bands.

Nevertheless, you still get a good feeling from this band as you normally would a competent stoner/doom band (a good feeling without the usual plant life that accompanies such music.) Instead, Fireball Ministry bathe the listener in satisfying riffs and charming melodies, brought to us by our speaker tonight, the Reverend James A. Rota. Rota's voice is a bit unexpected for this style, at least compared to what I've heard before, but he works very well. His vocals are hard to pin down as to who exactly they remind me of, though there are times he brings Ozzy Osbourne to mind (1970's Osbourne, not the modern Ozzman.) Even with that comparison, Rota is a better singer overall.

We get charming but also rockin' songs on this album like "Choker," which is where Rota sounds exactly like early day Osbourne. "King" is another example which is honestly on the best songs here. The goodness this band delivers just continues to ooze throughout the album, and I was never really disappointed with anything here. The exception could be "Daughter of the Damned" which is a little lackluster not to mention it short changes the listener as it cuts off at the end with no warning whatsoever. I actually thought something was wrong with my CD or CD player until I realized other people had complained about the same issue.

One of the songs that I found especially likeable on this album is "Flatline." It has been quite some time since I listened to a song that worked on every level. Yes its a simple song, as are most on here, but its as infectious as can be and sticks in your memory long after "Maidens of Venus" has left your speakers. I actually hit "repeat" on that song on my first listen of this album, something I very rarely do with any album of any artist. I might be overhyping this song, but I seriously doubt I am as a number of others have commented on how catchy and fun it is.

"The Second Great Awakening" is a great listen for fans of "traditional" metal. Don't be put off by the stoner/doom label, this band has some commonalities with that genre but this is not a knock off of Electric Wizard. Its a more enjoyable listen in my opinion, because its pure fun that doesn't attempt to be anything else. It'll brighten your day with its special brand of evangelical metal to whip your sinner ass into shape. This is one ministry whose sermons never get old.