Project 86
                                                                                      Knives To The Future
                                                   Label: Independent Team Black Recordings  Release Date :Jan 16th 2015 
Project 86 are an American Christian Rock band from Orange County , California, formed back in 1996 they have a massive following worldwide.

This is the bands ninth studio album and is very poignant , especially on the 100 year anniversary of the First World War.
To be perfectly honest Project 86 are not a band I have ever had any interest In, or listened to before.
The album tells the story, of a soldier, post battle, who has lost all sense of time ,and is unable to remember  who he  is.  Following on from the concept of their previous release “Wait For The Siren”. The Rock /Post Hardcore style and lyrical content are  absorbing , Project 86 have delivered a superb concept album.

Opening with the soldier treading  the battlefields of annihilation “Spirit of Shiloh” explodes and fires up the energy of P86 with a catchy  “one last chant one last battle” it’s a hard hitting opener which finishes with the  chilling line “I beg you to let me see what awaits me”.

Now “Acolyte March” sends shivers like shards of glass down your spine,  its heavenly, heavy, and melodic, referring to the Bible , Jericho and walls crashing down , the tale is spell blinding, and will be amazing in a live setting, this is a favorite of mine. Title track “Knives To The Future” attacks and resonates pain and transmits  agony with lyrics like “No retreat, there’s nothing behind me. We have no choice, we’ll never surrender…” and adds in a spiritual element with lines like, “Taste of the blood, the blood of communion.”  The next song “Son of Flame “ is an ethereal , haunting piece as the melodic tune fills the room it  is a very deep and moving number.  “Captive Bolt Pistol ” jumps into a Hard Core, Punky, Metal themed kick about,  its frenetic , bouncing and will be lapped up live. 

 

“Ambigram” with the telling words “meet me in my sanctuary, where no enemy will find the key” this is    a melodic number yet fueled with some thunderous riffs and tones. The imagery and detail through out this opus is stunning , the passion and verve from the vocalist projects the pure agony and battle  weariness on all of the songs , no more so than on “Genosha” and “Pale Ride” which is magnificently brutal and telling. “Valley of Cannons “ bites like a rabid wolf , its aggressive , biting and tearing defenceless flesh,   “Into the moon-light we proclaim, our death is not in vain.”

 

I don’t usually write the lyrics so much into my reviews but the lyrics are just superb and spine chillingly effective, no more so then the  final track ”Oculus” It concludes the story with a retro progressive feel, it’s a beautiful , moving end to a cracking concept album , the soldiers eyes are opened to reality , there are  some intense moments as the song concludes  , go and buy the album you may be surprised at how much you  love it and keep going back !
 
Review : Seb Di Gatto                   Score:9/10
                                                                                       Website

1.Intro                                                                           Facebook

2.Spirit of Shiloh                                                             Twitter

3.Acolyte March 

4.Knives to the Future

5.Son of Flame 

6.Captive Bolt Pistol 

7.Ambigram 

8.Genosha 

9.Pale Rider

10.Valley of Cannons 

11.White Capstone 

12Oculus