A press release says: “Though a new band, The Union of
Sinners and Saints combines members from two of the best-selling Christian rock
bands in history. Petra and Whiteheart
collectively have sold more than 12 million records, charted 25 No. 1 songs and
garnered numerous Grammy and Dove Awards”.
On their self-titled debut album which was released on Suite 28C Records in 2016, The Union of Sinners and Saints is
comprised of John Schlitt (Petra-lead vocals), Billy Smiley (White
Heart-guitar, keyboards, vocals), Anthony Sallee (White Heart-bass), Jon Knox
(White Heart and Adam Again-drums), and two younger, newer talents, Jason
Fowler (guitar and vocals), and Jonathan Crone (guitar, keyboards,
vocals). In the liner notes, Schlitt
writes: “Most of all, thank You, Jesus!
Please take this project and use it for Your glory!”
The album opens with the Smiley/Fowler composition ‘Rise
Up’. It is a melodic rock song with a
nice electric guitar solo by Dann Huff.
It offers great hope: “I’ve been calling You in life to fill this empty
space inside/You are the way, the truth, the life/Bringing me to my
Father/You’re everything I need to fill me up and make me see/The day You
opened up my eyes to shine/Rise up and rise up again/Oh, let the journey
begin/Rise up and rise up again/It’s time to let the love in/One! One!/We can
be one together forever”. ‘Brother to
Brother’ is one of 3 songs penned by Smiley and Schlitt. It is a terrific classic rock number with a
great electric guitar solo by CCM pioneer Phil Keaggy. It encourages unity and working together as
believers: “It’s up to us to bring it on/Gone are the days we sit around, the
time is now/From a man who has loved through many years/To the one who will
face uncertain fears/We stand/Brother to brother/Arm in arm, hand in hand/We
raise a flag across the land/We will make a change, a change/Brother to
brother”.
Next up is a vibrant cover of White Heart’s 1990 classic
‘Independence Day’ with Schlitt and Smiley sharing vocal duties. Brian Wooten and Jonathan Crone provide cool
electric guitar solos on this anthem about spiritual freedom: “The world can
crown another hundred kings/But I believe in a better dream/They may call it
slavery, but the biggest chain I knew was me/So let the idols tumble down/The
walls of lies crumble to the ground/I know where salvation can be found/Let the
idols tumble down!/Call it independence day! (2X)/Let the rockets blaze across
the sky/Raise the flag of faith up high/Let the doubters call it what they
may/It’s independence day!” Billy Smiley
and former Newsboy Peter Andrew Furler wrote ‘Now Not Never’. Furler plays drums and contributes some
vocals, while Jonathan Crone plays a slide guitar solo. It is a classic rock ballad about
companionship and perseverance: “You’re not on your own/We’re here
together/Chasing down a dream/It’s now not never/Following our hearts/Through
storms together/Almost made it there/It’s now not never”.
Michael W. Smith plays the B3 on ‘Lone Soldier’. It is a classic rock gem that prodigals who
have come home will be able to relate to: “Teach me Father/There’s so much I
can learn/Teach me Father/Walk me through every turn/I’m oh so ready/Please
take me through this land/This land of hope is where I stand/Don’t turn
away/Don’t toss the hope of a lone soldier/Cause it ain’t over/Till you find
what is there for you/Don’t look around, just keep the way straight as an
arrow/The path is narrow, but it’s wide enough for you”. Billy Smiley and John Ellis (Tree 63) wrote
‘The Things We Do’. Ellis and Schlitt
sing lead vocals. Ellis provides a
guitar solo and Michael W. again plays the B3.
It is a bluesy, mainstream rocker about heartache: “You came along and
you broke my heart to pieces/Yes, you did!/You came along and you broke my
heart to pieces/Oh yeah!/Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!”
Steve Brewster plays drums and Anthony Sallee plays bass on
‘Old Guys Rule’. It really rocks! Vocally and musically it’d fit nicely on
Alice Cooper’s 2005 album DIRTY DIAMONDS.
Here are some of the lyrics: “Don’t let people try to put you down/Cause
everything will always come around/We saw it then like we see it now/It’s so
cruel/Old guys rule!/We ain’t fools!/Old guys rule!” ‘The Call’ is a ballad of reflection: “Every
time I seize the day is one more time to see Your face/Yeah!/Every time I seize
the day is one more time to see Your face/Whoa!/It’s the call, yeah!/It’s the
call, whoa!/It’s the call”.
Next up is an updated cover of Petra’s 1990 hit ‘Beyond
Belief’. Bob Hartman plays a guitar solo
and slide guitar solo and John Lawry plays B3.
The song is about growing into spiritual maturity: “There’s a higher
place to go/Beyond belief, beyond belief/Where we reach the next plateau/Beyond
belief, beyond belief/And from faith to faith we grow/Towards the center of the
flow/Where He beckons us to go/Beyond belief, beyond belief”. Blair Masters of Dogs of Peace plays B3 on
‘My Offering’. It is a beautiful adult
contemporary ballad of spiritual surrender: “So take me, use me, mold me and
make me/Into the one I should be/And teach me, show me, lovingly change me/Into
the one I can be/So take me, use me, mold me and make me/Into the one I can
be/This is my offering”.
Chris McHugh plays drums on ‘Bittersweet’, while Dann Huff
provides a guitar solo, and Jason Fowler and John Schlitt sing lead. It’s a pulsating modern rock song of
spiritual realization: “Yeah, it’s bittersweet/The things we need/The truth
that makes us whole/Oh!/It’s bittersweet/The key we need, the love that brings
us home/Yeah!.../So open your mind/And don’t believe the lie/So open up your
mind/Open up your soul/And don’t believe the lies/Time to come back home!” Last up is Charles Wesley’s classic hymn
‘Christ the Lord is Risen Today’. The
arrangement here is by Billy Smiley and Dave Ellefson (Megadeth). Brennan Smiley provides a blazing electric
guitar solo. This is a song of praise
that rocks hard enough to raise your ancestors from their graves! The last verse here reads: “Love’s redeeming
work is done/Alleluia!/Fought the fight, the victory’s won/Alleluia!/Who
endured the cross and grave/Alleluia!/Sinners to redeem and save/Alleluia!”.
For those wondering whatever happened to actual Christian ROCK music, look no further than this
awesome album! Those of you who are
long-time fans of groups such as Petra, White Heart, Mylon & Broken Heart,
and DeGarmo and Key should be very pleased with this album! The Union of Sinners and Saints are every bit
as talented musically and vocally as their secular counterparts. This is an album you could give your unsaved
friends and not be embarrassed by doing so.
The album presents Christian themes, but in a non-preachy,
non-judgmental manner. There are also a
couple tracks that are lyrically suited for mainstream radio. If these guys record a follow-up album, I
hope they re-record the classic songs ‘Hit You Where You Live’ (Petra) and
‘Inside’ (White Heart). I’m rating this
debut album 95%. For more info visit: www.theunionofsinnersandsaints.com
and www.suite28records.com.