Stairway Interregnum
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
UK Christian metal band Stairway is back with their fifth studio album, titled Interregnum. Despite an intense cult following, Stairway’s melodic, traditional metal sound put them in the same general league as Barren Cross and Sacred Warrior, yet they always seemed to exist way below the radar, even in Christian metal circles, despite a career that dates back to the early ‘90s.
Beneath the apocalyptic cover artwork by Rodney Matthews (Asia, Magnum), Interregnum is a very solid traditional metal album with a fairly epic feel. The band has been active long enough to have developed a signature sound, and they’ve certainly come a long way since they debuted on the White Metal Warriors: Last Ship Home compilation. The musicianship, vocals and songwriting are all quite good. Unfortunately they’re hindered by a lackluster production job that sucks the life and power out of the songs. Stairway is literally talking about the end of the world and the fate of your soul, and they’re doing it with power chords and soaring vocals, yet that never seems to come across like it should. It’s like there is a wall that keeps everything to a lifeless middle ground. You can’t help but wonder what this album would sound like in the hands of a Dennis Ward or Magnus Karlsson.
Now, it should be mentioned again that Stairway is a Christian band, and their lyrics reflect that. They’re not ambiguous about their faith like Stryper, nor are they a Sunday sermon set to music like Petra or Whitecross. They are, however, unapologetically evangelical, so the religious nature of the songs can get a bit tedious if you don’t happen to share the band’s faith.
Production issues aside, Interregnum is a perfectly solid album that will no doubt please most Stairway followers and should be heard by any serious Christian metal fans. Beyond those groups though, it’s probably not an album that’s going to impress the larger metal community.
Genre: Christian Metal
Band:
Graeme Leslie (v) (b)
Andy Edwards (d)
Pete Jennens (g)
Track Listing:
1. The Suffering Servant
2. In the Shadow of the Cross
3. I’m Calling
4. Born to Die
5. Ride the Wind
6. New Life
7. Enter the Light
8. Fear & Lies
9. What Lies Within
10. The Battle’s Over
11. Born to Die – Epilogue
Label: Stairway Music Productions
Website: www.stairwayonline.co.uk
Hardrock Haven rating: 6/10