Tourniquet is a Christian metal band formed in the late
1980’s in California. The band’s theme
verse is Psalm 147:3 which states: “He heals the broken hearted and binds up
their wounds”. In 1990, STOP THE
BLEEDING, their debut album was released.
Two of my favorite albums are PSYCHO SURGERY (1991) and VANISHING
LESSONS (1994). 1997 saw them release
CRAWL TO CHINA. Here, I am reviewing the
2009 re-release of the album on Pathogenic Records. At the time of the original release the band
was: Ted Kirkpatrick (drums), Luke Easter (vocals), and Aaron Guerra (guitar
and vocals). The re-release was produced
by Bill Metoyer and Tourniquet, with artwork by Rex Zachary.
‘White Knucklin’ the Rosary’ is a splendid rock track that
comments on how many of us view prayer: “Don’t even try to tell me what prayer
is for/My Genie in a bottle needs to give me some more/And when this mess is
over I don’t need Him anymore/I’ll put my God back on temporary ignore.../White
knucklin’ the rosary/I know my God by what He does for me/Open only in case of
emergency/White knucklin’ the rosary”.
‘Going, Going...Gone’ is pro-environment: “Is it greed or ignorance or
is it both?/As the bulldozer trashes a thousand years growth/Clearcutting with
a clear conscience/A burning desire to burn/If a tree falls and no one’s
around/The wildlife still hear it crashing down”.
According to the liner notes: “Proprioception has to do with
our sense of direction when we’re upside down-the sense a cat uses to land on
its feet or a gymnast to perform a back flip”.
So, the next song is ‘Proprioception: The Line Knives Syndrome’. Here are some of the lyrics to this metal
track: “Like the feline that finds the floor on all fours/Is the house built on
rock that the devil abhors/Build your house on sand to find/A cat with one life
instead of nine/Proprioception/Balance correction/Innate sense gives
direction”. The title track, ‘Crawl to
China’, was a #1 hit for the band. It’s
an awesome hard rock number about calling: “Is God asking you to crawl to China
or just to cross the street?/To trudge through the desert through Arabian
heat/Or to accomplish the impossible, an Herculean feat/Or maybe just trade in
bad thoughts obsolete?”
‘If I Was There’ is a reverent easy listening ballad about
Calvary: “As He marched up that hill I can picture Him still in my mind/All the
blood and the sweat on His brow/As He passed me on by/I could see in His
eyes/That His pain was a gift of His love/He was the sacrifice, the Lamb/And He
is the great I AM/And He paid the price for me/The price for you and me, you
and me”. ‘Tire Kicking’ rocks hard and
is about spiritual pride: “I know many verses and have studied many years/Can’t
you see how holy my exterior appears?/Armor All on all 4 tires/You sure are
looking good/But you will be bent out of joint if I lift up that hood”.
‘If Pigs Could Fly’ calls us to action: “But wait-on the
horizon-land-land ho!/Will you sit there and pray or will you get up and
row?/The next time you are quick to say/’I’m just waitin’ on the Lord’/Just
make sure that you remember where we all have been before”. ‘Stumblefoot’ reminds us we need God: “The
consequence of diligence without Him will show all the dents/That’s why our
eyes are always on the throne/What’s wrong with me?/What’s wrong with you?/How
many times we’ve fallen through/The thin device of foolish thinking/All along
our pride is sinking”.
‘Enveloped in Python’ is a strong metal track partly sung,
partly spoken, and includes an Indian recorder solo. It’s about sin’s grip: “The coiling is fast,
this time it’s your last/Your soul asphyxiated/Final chance for escape
terminated/Enveloped in python/Constriction complete”. Next up is ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ based around
Edgar Allan Poe’s short story first published in 1843. The song reminds us our sins will find us
out: “I thought I’d committed the perfect, fool-proof crime/I never knew how
heavy this would weigh upon my mind/Things done in secret under cover of
night/Have a funny way of being brought into the light”.
‘Bats’ is a fun sounding song musically and includes good
theology: “The God Jehovah is not feathers, wood, or stone/The Word became
flesh and ascended to the throne/He walked the earth like you and me/And
dwelling in our hearts is where He wants to be (2X)”. ‘Crank the Knife’ speaks of relationship
tensions: “Distance makes my heart to fester in self-inflicted pain/If I can’t
face the consequences of my actions/I’ll find somebody else to blame/I greet
you with a brother’s kiss and crank the knife another...twist”.
Tim Gaines (of Stryper fame) plays bass on
‘Claustrospelunker’ which is a mix of metal and Tony Bennett like swing! It asks good questions: “Are you afraid that
where He takes you is a cold, dark, lonely place/Where it’s hard to find His
face, hard to find His face/In a world that is not your own?” ‘Imaginary Friend’ tells a story: “Sitting in
a corner admiring the sunbeams/With an imaginary friend he frolics and
plays/But he’s forgotten the only One who can take away the pain/Trading in what’s
real for a figment/A cashed in life locked up in his brain/They don’t give
diplomas from catatonic state”.
Two instrumentals close out the album. Of ‘America’, the liner notes say: “We must
remember that the Lord’s hand is powerful enough to bring peace to any land, if
the people will only call on Him”. The
song makes use of banjo, guitars, and marching drums creatively. Last up is ‘If I Was There’ which you could
sing along to as a solo in church.
Fans of Deliverance and Skillet, as well as heavy metal and
hard rock music, will enjoy this project!
It is executed with great precision and artistry musically. The CD booklet of this re-issue includes
Scripture verses, revealing liner notes, and pics of the band too. Many themes are touched upon lyrically. The importance of prayer and action in good
and bad times, God’s calling on our lives and our trust in Him, environmental
and wildlife concerns, Calvary, and sin’s dangerous and deadly nature are just
some of the song topics. I’m rating
CRAWL TO CHINA an outstanding 97%. For
more info visit: www.tourniquet.net.