Even some fans of classic Christian rock may not be familiar with The Brave. (Not to be confused with the Australian secular metal group.) I had the sounds of 1990s Christian music all around me growing up and I hadn't heard of them until adulthood. Their initial run in the early 1990s produced a slew of hits, though. One of many of the Elefante Brothers produced acts with a heavy 1980s influence to rule the day in that decade. We're going to look at some of their career highlights. Do you remember any of them?
Battle Cries
The band's debut was heavily influenced by the sounds of mainstream hard rock of the 1980s. Bands like Def Leopard, KISS, Bon Jovi, and Scorpion, among many others can be found among the sonic influences, but The Brave was also their own thing. And lyrically, they carried an unabashed passion for Christ.
The band's arena rock numbers like "Altogether Now" and "Little Love" can stand toe-to-toe with the best of both mainstream rock and Christian arena rock acts like Stryper and Petra. Rock ballads like "Never Live Without Your Love" and "Running All My Life" have the shameless hair metal influence, fueled with emotional melodies coupled with fine guitar riffs. Battle Cries, while released in 1992, feels like a quintessential 1980s hair rock release. And for fans of that genre, it's likely to be a standout whether you're familiar with it from its release or have never heard of it before.
Trust
The band switched lead singers to drummer Randy Roberts for this album. While he sadly passed away in 2007, this sophomore album showed he was more than capable of lead vocal duties. A grittier and dirtier sound than their debut, this album offered more crunchy guitar licks and rousing rock choruses for fans to latch onto. The album perhaps fit better in the changing rock landscape of the 1990s. Ballad "Tomorrow" especially bears the sonic production touches of the Elefante Bros. and is a radio-ready hit and album highlight. "The River," "Rage of the Age," and "Dirty Water" offer plenty of the band's 1980s influence with a rawer rock grit.
Second Act Releases
The band entered an extended hiatus after their 1994 release. It wouldn't have been surprising if we never heard from them again. Like so many bands both back then and today, it's often hard to stand out among the deluge of artists releasing music in a genre. Many bands released 1-3 albums, produced a few radio hits, and faded away into obscurity. But The Brave has found themselves in a second act these past few years.
Starting with an EP and building to several additional full length releases, they're still releasing new singles even as of this writing. (Single "Knock Knock" just released in the past few weeks.) Albums like Evie's Little Garden and Gravedigger are melodic hard rock offerings that are sure to please both old and new fans alike. They carry the sonic hallmarks of the 1980s and 1990s rock scenes, but with the sheen and crisp of modern production. These new singles may have limited impact on the Christian music charts, but they've carved the band out a loyal following. This second act helps to cement the band's legacy as a hidden gem of the Christian hard rock scene.
J.J. Francesco is a longtime contributor to the NRT Staff. He's published the novel 'Because of Austin' and regularly seeks new ways to engage faith, life, and community. His new novel, 'When Miracles Can Dream,' is out NOW!
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