Older bands recently discovered

Lately, I have been finding some older bands and liking what I am hearing. I've acquired a download of:

Gideon's Army "Grace"
Lex Rex "Beat The System"
Lex Rex "The Devil's Nightmare"
Limit "When The Clock Strikes"
First Degree "Youth"


Man, why did I never hear of these when they were still in print? It stinks to resort to illegal downloads, but some of this stuff is available no other way even on Amazon. I found a Russian site that has some of these, but I highly doubt that the downloads are any more legal than off someone's blog. I also fear from the Russian site that I would have money stolen from my accounts.

Anyway, have any of you ever heard these? My favorite is probably Gideon's Army. Great 80's melodic hard rock with a lot of keys and a passion for Jesus in the lyrics. Fans of Bon Jovi, Loverboy, Europe, etc. would like them. They have another album that is about to be reissued by Retroactive Records that I have ordered. I think Matt is going to reissue "Grace" as well. If he does, I'll be buying that CD!

Lex Rex would be my next favorite. Also 80's melodic hard rock. "Beat The System" has some keys on it, but they kind of remind me again of Bon Jovi or Autograph. Again, the lyrics are straightforward in their sharing of the gospel.

First Degree is pretty good. They remind me of early Idle Cure but without any saxophone--which I am glad of as I don't really care for the sound of the sax.

Limit I just found yesterday. The keys take a bit more of a lead instrument here although they still have that 80's vibe. They are a bit more progressive. The vocalist sings in a lower register, though, so it has a different feel than what was coming out in the 80's. Musically, this kind of reminds me of Guiffria.

Anyway, those are my finds as of late. Now, I need to get to my CDs and find my CD-Rs of Plain Clothes and Dynamo and get those added on the Zune as well. These were some demo albums I had on cassette years ago and finally got to borrow copies of these from Pastor Bob. I transferred these to disc myself.

I'd like to hear Gideon's Army and more of Lex Rex (King's Law in Latin, btw ). Sounds like interesting stuff.

Gideon's Army is very interesting.
I like Limit and Lex Rex too.
Haven't heard of First Degree.

That was an adventure to buy those albums on a Russian site.
Hope it goes well.

I can't believe you never heard that Lex Rex. I had their first album on my trade list for over a year (never could get into them).

I wish I had known how they sounded. I would have snagged that from you.

Their other album that was cassette only is heavier. Almost no keyboards at all.

Dave Johnson used to sing praises of Lex Rex, but I still haven't heard 'em at all...

I remember that First Degree album.... I didn't like it, the production sounded too muddy if I remember right.... However that was in what....88??? I might sing a different tune now, but I do remember back in the day not being very kind in a review in White Throne.... ahhh the arrogance of youth....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LEX-REX-Beat-the-Heat-RARE-90-OOP-cd-Van-Halen-Hard-Rock/251285055982?_trksid=p2047675.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D11%26meid%3D8226089198217067578%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D1005%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D140951510832%26

I've got all of those on mp3 and the only one I'd really love to find the original vinyl of is the First Degree album. I love that album (despite it's muddiness).
Lex Rex (which means "God's law is King") is definitely an underated band. I couldn't understand why, but when Firestream was a chat room, people used to speak bad of them and make fun of them... strange, since they really are a great band.
Gideon's Army is another great band that I'd LOVE to find the original LPs of. I especially like their first effort called "Rock & Roll For Your Soul"
and Limit (Originally known as Reflex) I got a copy years ago and still haven't got around to listening to that one.... some day though.

The Gideon's Army stuff is being released by Retroactive Records.

I was never able to get into that lex Rex album.
i just heard that Limit album in it's entirety yesterday despite the heavy keyboard I still like it.

Tried to order Gideon's Army via the website from Retroactive Records.
Have gotten a message, they cant ship the CD to my country.
Then I've sent a message to the owner of Retroactive Records about this.
He has sent me a message back with an e-mail address from a person @ grider music to contact him about the CD.
Is Grider Music a reliable place to order CDs?

Quote :

Is Girder Music a reliable place to order CDs?

No.

Some folks have had bad experiences with Girder. I had a bad experience will selling CDs through them, but have never had an issue with an actual order. However, I can usually find CDs cheaper than from Girder. Sadly, the "official" Retroactive Records store is being handled by Greg Hays--the owner of Girder.

If you don't wish to order from Girder, I suggest finding the CD on eBay when it is released and buy it straight from Retroactive themselves. Matt always puts them up for sale a few days before everyone else gets them in their stores.

When you order from EBay or Amazon, just check to see if you're ordering from Brutal Planet Productions (or BP Productions) and you can know if you're ordering directly from Retroactive....

Chances are that the Roxx Store will carry some of those Retroactive releases as well...

Buying this CD on eBay is not going to happen.

I'll check out the other options you have given me.
Thank for your advice.

alldatndensum wrote:

Lately, I have been finding some older bands and liking what I am hearing.  I've acquired a download of:

Gideon's Army "Grace"
Lex Rex "Beat The System"
Lex Rex "The Devil's Nightmare"
Limit "When The Clock Strikes"
First Degree "Youth"


Man, why did I never hear of these when they were still in print?  It stinks to resort to illegal downloads, but some of this stuff is available no other way even on Amazon.  I found a Russian site that has some of these, but I highly doubt that the downloads are any more legal than off someone's blog.  I also fear from the Russian site that I would have money stolen from my accounts.

Anyway, have any of you ever heard these?  My favorite is probably Gideon's Army.  Great 80's melodic hard rock with a lot of keys and a passion for Jesus in the lyrics.  Fans of Bon Jovi, Loverboy, Europe, etc. would like them.  They have another album that is about to be reissued by Retroactive Records that I have ordered.  I think Matt is going to reissue "Grace" as well.  If he does, I'll be buying that CD!

Lex Rex would be my next favorite.  Also 80's melodic hard rock.  "Beat The System" has some keys on it, but they kind of remind me again of Bon Jovi or Autograph.  Again, the lyrics are straightforward in their sharing of the gospel.

First Degree is pretty good.  They remind me of early Idle Cure but without any saxophone--which I am glad of as I don't really care for the sound of the sax.

Limit I just found yesterday.  The keys take a bit more of a lead instrument here although they still have that 80's vibe.  They are a bit more progressive.  The vocalist sings in a lower register, though, so it has a different feel than what was coming out in the 80's.  Musically, this kind of reminds me of Guiffria.

Anyway, those are my finds as of late.  Now, I need to get to my CDs and find my CD-Rs of Plain Clothes and Dynamo and get those added on the Zune as well.  These were some demo albums I had on cassette years ago and finally got to borrow copies of these from Pastor Bob.  I transferred these to disc myself.

Sad to say, but Christian music isn't held onto the way secular music is. With secular music, a no-name band can put out one album, disband, and 40 years later you can still order the CD. With Christian music, the band could have disbanded two years ago and all of a sudden all but their last three albums are unable to be ordered. Until DeGarmo & Key's albums started appearing on iTunes, that was the case with their music. The first album I ever had from them was Heat It Up. By the time they disbanded and I was old enough to have my own job to be able to purchase them, they weren't available. So I had to rely on illegal downloads to obtain their discography.

Probably two thirds of my music collection has been obtained via illegal downloads since the albums are no longer available for purchase anywhere. The other third, the majority of those albums I own the physical copy to, while the remainders I have purchased from iTunes. I have complete studio album discographies for 99% of my collection, which contains over 1100 artists/bands. Some of the earliest music in the collection is from the 50s. I have a significant chunk of artists from the Jesus Music era, while the majority is from CCM.

I used to be extremely proud of the fact that I owned every CD in my entire music collection. But then I started running into artists/bands I wanted but couldn't find (or couldn't find the rest of their albums to complete my discography). Christian bookstores couldn't order them, you couldn't find them online for order, iTunes didn't exist at the time and when it did they only slowly started adding things I was looking for (which, if I have a not so good download copy of, I try to purchase a better copy from iTunes). Any rare or hard to find albums, a buddy of mine from over in Europe has nearly 7Tb of Christian music.

If you're interested in rock from the 60s, check out Crossbeats and The Witnesses. If you like 70s rock, check out Agape, Amaziah, Andy McCarroll/Moral Support, Arkangel, Ed Raetzloff, The Eli Band, Eternal Rock, Fraction, Out of Darkness, Solid Rock, Wings of Light. The group Fraction sounds kind of like The Doors, but a better voice. If you like 80s-90s rock, check out some of these artists: Age of Faith, Allegiance, Alliance (two different groups with same name), Amy Wolter, Battlecry, Beckett, Big Faith, The Brave, Divine Right A.D., D.O.X., Edin-Adahl, Fierce Heart, Gethsemane, Higher Power, Identical Strangers, In 3-D, Jet Circus, Jillian, Last Adam, Michael Gleason, Ralph van Manen, The Reach, Quest, Ron Collins, Ruscha, Shelter, Troy Werner, The Turn, Two Or More, Vital Sign.

One of my pet peeves with most modern Christian music is their shame to speak of Christ in their lyrics. They'll get on stage and say stupid things like, "We know you didn't come here to be preached at, you came here to rock." I'm sorry, but I came for both; to hear preaching in your lyrics and to rock while worshiping my God. These artists want to be popular with the world, which clearly indicates they don't read their Bible. Their music is their ministry and as such they should be preaching Christ in their music so those who don't know Him can hear of Him and hopefully be saved. "How will they call on Him they haven't heard, and how will they hear unless someone preach." I miss groups like Petra whose lyrics were laced with biblical truths.

If you like Gideon's Army, check out their 1982 album "Rock and Roll For Your Soul" and their 1986 album "Warriors of Love."

All three of the Gideon' Army releases are now available through Retroactive Records.


You want to hear some 80's metal that preaches the gospel?  Check out my album by Mission Of One "Hostile To The Gospel".  The album name is deceiving.  It is a song about the persecution of the church in the media and by extremists worldwide who wish to wipe us out.  I also have an earlier album out called "Take Another Swig" that I had remastered.  I still need to reissue that at least through Bandcamp and other digital outlets.

Rylore wrote:

The Reach

Is that the same "The Reach" that became "In Reach" then "Brett Williams and In Reach" and then "Brett Williams?

Checked out "Hostile To the Gospel" on iTunes. Sounds pretty good. Looking forward to hearing the songs in their entirety. Added it to my Wishlist for future purchase when I obtain a job again. Currently without work. They terminated me without cause or reason. I was 60 days into my 90-day probation period. When I asked if I had done something wrong or if there was an area I could grow in, they told me they "don't have that information." The only information I know is what my supervisor told me when they offered me the job, which was that I "don't fit in with everyone else on the line as they are very clique-ish." Since when did having to be an extrovert become a job requirement? I keep mostly to myself and I work hard, doing the job I was hired to do. Current times baffle me. The harder you work and the better you do, you now get penalized for, whereas in the past you'd be rewarded. I can't help but to work hard and excel at my work. It's the work ethic I was taught growing up. In the last ten years, all of a sudden such work ethic became an offense.

Just to bring it to your attention, track 4 is improperly titled. It should be "Give In To Him." Give in, surrender. You're not putting something into something. Most albums from the mid-90s onward tend to confuse "in to" and "into," as well as a few other similar things. Like most people online incorrectly putting "alot" when they mean "a lot."

Xid wrote:

Rylore wrote:

The Reach

Is that the same "The Reach" that became "In Reach" then "Brett Williams and In Reach" and then "Brett Williams?

I honestly couldn't tell you. I only found out about them recently. The only album The Reach has is 1989 - Under the Same Sky. If it's the same, then I have more music to look for apparently. *LOL* I do have In Reach - 1992 - Waterline.

From Firestream on the band In Reach

AOR Rock band formed in 1984 by Brett Williams. The band released their independent debut album in 1989 when the band was still called 'The Reach'. The band signed with Star Song and changed their name to In Reach and released their first mainstream album called Waterline. A third album called Power & Promise was released as 'Brett Williams and In Reach.'
Their musical style is best described as AOR in the vains of bands like Geoff Moore & The Distance, Nouveaux and Degarmo & Key.

alldatndensum wrote:

All three of the Gideon' Army releases are now available through Retroactive Records.

I checked out Retroactive Records and they had nothing for selection. They had 55 albums under "Retroactive Records," 9 albums under "Born Twice Records," and 30 albums under "Bombworks."

That's them!

My first real gig was opening for them.

Rylore, welcome to CHM.

Xid, have I understood it well?
That you opened before Gideon's Army?