Death Stare - Staring Down Defeat with Hope Posted August 26, 2021 By RyanAdams_NRT, Staff Reviewer
What You Need To Know
Death Stare is rock band The Protest's second release with Rockfest Records and fifth musical release overall. It features the singles "Greater" and "Show Up For The Showdown."
What It Sounds Like
The Protest channels some old-school influences into anthemic, modern rock tunes. The rock band does a great job of interjecting guitar solos and breakdowns to empower the songs. Chants, anthems, and gang vocals build the EP's arena rock sound. Following their last record, Legacy, the gritty screaming is present, matching the aggressive lyrics. The singing has also improved--especially in the ballad, "Hell To Hold You."
Spiritual Highlights
Each song is encouraging, relatable, and honest. A few highlights: "Paper Tiger" is a song about overcoming fear in our lives. Joshua 1:9 comes to mind: 'Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.' "Greater" is a bold declaration of sending glory to Christ rather than self. "Voices" is about mental illness: the "voices in my head." It empowers the listener to stop wallowing and find help (musically, it sounds like Disciple).
Best Song
"Greater" is both a powerful and humbling song. The chorus is quick to remind us where our goals should be in life: "I don't do it for the glory/I don't do it for the game/I do it all to make them see this is all for something greater than me." This is a must-hear song for any fan of Christian rock.
The Protest's Death Glare is full of arena rock that is sure to encourage you. The aggressiveness varies, such as the growl-filled track, "Paper Tiger" to the roaring of "The Mountain." Death Glare does not find the band experimenting much, rather, digging into what they know and love best. This is a cohesive rock EP that is a highlight for the rock scene.
