Found this review for Jekyll & Hyde

[shawnpfan2010]

I found this review while playing on the net. I thought I would share it with you, the Petra fans and see if you like the review or not. To some of you it will make you see red others might agree with it, lets see where this goes shall we!!

Disclaimer...... I did not write this!!!!

This is from the website angelicwarlord.com

The melodic rock band Petra has released several albums over the years with more than their fair share of hard rocking moments - On Fire and Not Of This World are the first that come to mind - but none of the bands past efforts rock with quite the same authority as its most recent outing Jekyll & Hyde. A great deal of credit for this achievement, nevertheless, must be given to founding member Bob Hartman for the incredibly tight and heavy rhythm guitar sound he lays down. That being said, a weakness in the bands instrumental sound betrays Hartman's inability to contribute little in the way if any relevant lead guitar work to the project. With "Stand" being the lone exception, the instrumental portions to most of the albums tracks are either limited to a few seconds of rhythm guitar or are missing altogether. While Hartman is a capable musician, if he is not inclined to solo then it would have been my choice to bring in a guest guitarist such as Tony Palacios (Guardian) or Rex Carroll (Whitecross) to handle the albums lead guitar duties. Lead vocalist John Schlitt (Head East), who has been with the band since the mid-eighties, contributes a terrific classic hard rock voice that perfectly complements the bands move to a more guitar driven sound. Please note that the albums liner notes fail to specify the musicians performing on bass guitar and drums.

In terms of the albums production, the rhythm guitar - heavy and crunchy and placed right up front in the mix - is produced to utter perfection. Due to an element of muddiness in the albums low end, however, neither the bass nor drums stand out in the mix as they should.

Upon hearing the metal flavored riff opening "Jekyll & Hyde" I immediately asked myself "Is this REALLY Petra?" You bet it is! And on the albums title track the band pulls no punches in combining a driving rhythm guitar sound and a good catchy chorus with a message based around Romans 7:15:

I have a secret that I let nobody see
An evil shadow that's been hanging over me
My alter ego that I try to hold at bay (but)
Despite my good intentions he can always get away
He does the things that I don't want to die
Sometime I feel like Jekyll & Hyde

"All About Who You Know" advances through its verse portions at a slower more mid-tempo pace until it gains momentum for a strong vocal harmony driven chorus. The only drawback to the song comes in the form of its lack of an instrumental passage.

As previously stated, "Stand" is the albums only track in which Hartman cuts loose and solos, the songs last forty five seconds fortified by his tastefully done lead guitar work. A first rate chorus backed by a touch of vocal harmonies helps place "Stand" among the albums better tracks.

While "Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda" is driven from front to back by a good hard rocking rhythm guitar sound, a weak pop flavored chorus prevents it from bearing up under repeated play. The song focuses on dealing with the past:

Life is filled with many chances
Some you took and some you blew
Your path in life can turn over so quickly on
On everything you say
And change with everything you do
I know that was then
There's nothing I can do about what might have been

After a quietly played guitar line takes "Perfect World" through its first verse, the rhythm guitar kicks in at the start of the second and leads the way to a catchy hook filled chorus. Only the lack of an instrumental passage detracts from what otherwise is a very fine number.

An open air rhythm guitar underscores Schlitt's gritty voice during the first verse of "Test Of Time" before the rhythm section enters the mix upon reaching the second. Background vocals reinforce a chorus with a good commercial flavored hook. Once again, a musically solid number fails to reach its potential due to its lack of an instrumental passage.

“I Will Seek You” highlights a trade off between Schlitt and a driving rhythm guitar as it moves through its first verse. Once the rhythm guitar takes charge, it bolsters a very fine melodic based chorus. The failure to include an instrumental passage leaves the song to be found wanting.

Introduced by a quietly played guitar line, “Life As We Know It” is carried by an upfront mix of rhythm guitar to a radio friendly chorus progressing at an upbeat tempo. An instrumental passage limited to several seconds of rhythm guitar fails to make the grade. "Life As We Know It" conveys a simple but straightforward message:

Never perfect
But perfectly forgiven

While the acoustic based ballad "Till Everything I Do" showcases a very fine melody line, I feel the song would have stood out in the more noteworthy manner if it had been backed by a crisp sounding rhythm guitar. "Till Everything I Do" is based around Colossians 3:17:

Till everything I do I do for You
Through every test of faith You take me through
Till every path I take is straight and true

An acoustic guitar carries "Sacred Trust" through its first verse until a touch of rhythm guitar enters the mix and drives a chorus I might describe as above-average to good at best. Two minutes into the song, however, the rhythm guitar moves directly to the front of the mix hard and heavy before transitioning back to a more reduced role several seconds later.

After repeated listening, I find that there is a lot to like about Jekyll & Hyde. And what the album lacks in instrumental prowess, it more than makes up for in a terrific upfront rhythm guitar sound. It is also worth pointing out that Jekyll & Hyde features a great deal of material that is quite solid from a musical standpoint: "Jekyll & Hyde", "Stand", "Perfect World", "Test Of Time" and "I Will Seek You" all standing out with noteworthy melodies. Finally, while I hope the hard rock direction of Jekyll & Hyde remains an ongoing trend, I would like to encourage the band to bring in a guest guitarist to handle the lead guitar work of any follow up effort it records.
Review by: Andrew Rockwell

[executioner]

This is funny; this guy doesn't have a clue what Bob Hartman is capable of doing because twice he recommend bringing in a guest guitarist to handle lead guitar duties, and frankly shows NO CLUE to what Petra(Bob mainly) was trying to accomplish with JAH. Bob has been quoted as saying that if he felt the songs needed or warranted guitar solos then they would have them; Bob won't throw a solo in there just to throw one in there. Most reviews for JAH that are out there are very favorable with the sound and obviously this review doesn't fully understand what Bob was trying to do with the album. ANYBODY that feels there should be more lead guitar or solos on the album have clearly missed the boat on the intentions of Petra and Peter Fuhler.

[Shell]

It's just someone's opinion. He appears to like the CD for the most part, but as Exe points out he misses the mark on some of his comments.

[brent]

It is his opinion, and I like it. Some of the tunes didn't "get there" completely for me either. Here is the deal. When people listen to music, they listen to music. They may not know the history, or what Bob was capable of at one time, or what he might be now. People don't give a crap about that stuff we know, or think we know. Artists are only as good as the album in front of the reviewer, customer, potential customer. That exposure is the one thing that determines whether they will buy more, not what the artist did 20 years ago.

[rexreed]

Good review- I can't disagree with the fact that a lack of solos is the the one thing that keeps the album from being my favorite. I'd love to hear what Rex and Bob could come up with. The reviewer only suggested that if Bob did not feel up to some lead guitar work he could have brought in another player- he did not say Bob wasn't capable. C'mon the album clocks in at under 40 minutes if I remember correctly- a little more music would have been nice.

[Preacherman777]

Honestly, I have to agree with the reviewer about the lack of instrumentals and solos. It may have been what they were trying to accomplish at the time, but it keeps the music from really standing the test of time the way Petra's other music does. Not that it's not good anymore or that I never listen to it, but it sounds very dated to me and now and kind of old and used up. It lacks that classic element that makes me want to continually listen to Petra's past efforts. One of Petra's biggest mistakes throughout it's later career has been trying to fit in. If they had just always remained true to the kind of music that brought them to the dance, I think they would have seen a much more steady career. It's a fun album because of how heavy it is, but it really can't stand up against something like On Fire because it just lacks that classic flare and because we die hard fans do know what Bob is capable of, we know how much better it could have been. Honestly, the song I appreciate most from the album is Sacred Trust and so that ought to tell you something.

[brent]

Dangit that is right. Again, just what I have been saying. The labels wanted to keep the older guys relevant, to keep getting the younger crowd, which was buying the music. When that stopped working, they had to go female/radio friendly. When that stopped...well, it didn't REALLY work because radio wouldn't play it. They stuck Petra in the third slot of the rotation which is "oldies" with Coloring Song and such. Anyway, Petra would have been better off being Petra, playing the music of their youth, tipping their hat to their influences.

It's all about branding. When is the last time you bought Campbells cereal or Hershey's vitamins? You haven't because those names and brands are true to a specific line of products. You don't open a soup can and get cake. This is what the best rock bands, companies, organizations do. They do what they do and let the name identify what they do and when people see it, they know what they are going to get. Petra = RAWK! Bring it!

Bob DID say that he just didn't "feel" the solos for those tunes. I get that. Solos with that style would have seemed out of place. Except for maybe two tunes, the simplicity of music would have not been the right. Instead of the really simple stuff, like track two, which I hate, I would like to hear more of "tasty Bob".

My ideal Petra record now would be a 70s rock album....grooves, solos, melodic...the good stuff.