All We Are

It is truly a curious thing that just over 3 minutes of heavy rock can bring so much controversy onto itself. It may be a reflection of how powerful a force that heavy metal can be when it hits the mainstream, or just simply a sign that there are too many busybodies in this world with way too much time on their hands. When you listen to the lyrics, all you really hear is the harmless chants of a group of young musicians that just want have, if you’ll excuse the band that I’m quoting “Nothing but a good time”. But most insecure religious types listen to the words “We are all we need” and feel that their faith is being threatened, as several of us who had the misfortune of being approached by bible beaters while sporting our heavy metal attire know all too well.

The song itself is simply almost to the point of being comical, as is the case with most bands that take their cues from more mainstream aspects of Judas Priest and mix it with 3 and 4 chord rock and roller types such as AC/DC. The chorus is only two chords, the melody only 4 or 5 notes, and the general atmosphere is that of a crowd pleasing sing along ala Twisted Sister. The leads are decent, sporting some fancy Floyd Rose whammy bar work and some rapid pentatonic licks, but nothing that would really cross the lines into being genuine shredding. The real charm of this song is how damned catchy it is and Doro’s spot on vocal delivery, which has more raw power to it than many of her male counterparts of that particular time.

The thing that is truly amazing about all of the bad press that this song received in religious circles is how tame it is compared to such obviously profane yet highly entertaining works as Slayer’s “Hell Awaits” and pretty much everything that Venom had released up to this point. I fail to see what is so threatening about a band being depicted in a music video hauling giant amplifiers into a traffic jam and putting on a concert suggesting that people take a break from their busy lives and have a little fun, but I guess having fun gets in the way of being a good Christian. This stupidity really manifests itself when you read passages in a good book about a Son of God turning water into wine in order to keep a celebration from going bust.

Anyhow, if you are a fan of old school 80s metal with a slight dash of pop/rock influences creeping into the mix, the album that this came off of comes highly recommended. It’s a bit more commercial than “Burning the Witches” and “Hellbound”, but it is a fun listen nonetheless, and ultimately this particular song proves to be one of the least interesting of the tracks to be heard on the entire album.