In Steve Camp’s fourth album, his first for Sparrow Records, he continues the theme explored in his runaway hit “Run to the Battle.” It’s not just that he tells us to get our lives straight before the Lord. It’s that he does it so graphically – both through powerful music and intense lyrics. Almost every song cries out, “What’s it gonna take / To break into your heart of stone?”
The record starts with reassurance. “Upon This Rock” tells us that, though persecuted by the Devil, the church will stand because of her firm foundation. The opening song also sets the musical tone for the album: tight production spiked with new-wave techniques – staccato keyboards and sophisticated sounds woven around simpler musical themes. Although the overall sound is compatible with such standard rockers as Mylon LeFevre and Joe English, something new is definitely happening here.
Much of this new feeling can be attributed to the creative synthesizer programming of Rhett Lawrence. Keyboards richly dominate with overtones ranging from classical to new wave. Although the arrangements are wonderfully intricate, the style is overworked in spots. For instance, the staccato synthesizer is dynamic in “Upon This Rock,” exciting with “Squeeze,” but repetitious by the time “What Would the Devil Say” rolls around.
Produced by Camp and John Rosasco, Fire and Ice is an ambitious project involving 11 musicians (including Joe English on drums and Rosasco on synthesizer) and 10 background vocalists. The music enhances rather than overpowers the lyrics, driving the messages home with urgency. Camp and Rob Frazier, who also sings background vocals, co-wrote most of the songs.
“Squeeze,” a well-handled tune, warns the listener not to let the world push him into its mold. “Where Are the Heroes?” is the rock version of Hebrews 11, coupled with a lament over the lack of giants of faith today. “Heart of Stone” and “Fire and Ice” are choice rebukes wrapped around solid rock music.
Two mellower cuts are noteworthy: “Love’s Not a Feeling,” a sensitive duet with Michele Pillar, and “Living in Laodicea,” where the words reach right to the heart: “O Lord, take your plow to my fallow ground / Let your blade dig down to the soil of my soul.”
Click here to add a video. Click to add lyrics if not listed.
to add lyrics if not listed.
