never forsaken - The Journey Here

Never Forsaken 

The Journey Here
self-released; 2013

3.4 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Never Forsaken is a Christian hard-rock band from Southern New Jersey who recently released a six-song EP called The Journey Here. The first thing that needs to be mentioned is that you don't need to be a Christian to enjoy this music (although I'm sure it’s easier to appreciate it since they are talking about Christian faith). I'm a borderline atheist and was able to enjoy a good majority of this EP without feeling like it was being overly preachy or cliché. It’s hard to deny that they have a huge sound with great production, which is influenced by 80’s heavy metal, electronic as well as contemporary bands such as Fireflight and Evanescence. 

The band consists of Jim Dallett (guitar), Lois Dallett (bass), Carlos Figueroa (guitar), Denise Jubb (lead vocals), John Eller (drums) and Sam Santos (keys). Everyone in the band is an accomplished musician and it shows through some of the impressive creative and technical parts that are throughout the album. Even if you aren't a fan of the music it’s hard to deny the vocal abilities of Denise Jubb. She sings with conviction and more often than not her voice soars.

The EP starts out with a solid rocker entitled “We Fall Down.” Palm-muted guitars are implemented into the verse before exploding on the chorus. Jubb sings “We Fall Down” as the song reaches for grand heights. It’s a powerful song that could barely be contained by speakers but it also contains an infectious chorus that I wasn't able to get out of my head. “Beg a Pardon” diversifies their sound by adding orchestration to the mix, which makes the music feel even more thematic and powerful. I wasn't expecting to hear a straight-up house beat on “Surrender My Life” but there it was. The song eventually segues into a heavy rock song then reverts back to the house beat. They pull it off and it sounded seamless.

Overall, the band does have that hard rock Christian sound, which makes me cringe but it also has a number of qualities that made this easier to digest. The band strives for songs that sound larger than life and hit the mark. Check it out for yourself and see if this is your cup of tea.

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