By: Kevan Breitinger
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Pillar
For The Love of The Game
Essential Records
Rock
02-26-2008
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SCORE
90%
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Tulsa-based rawkers Pillar want to bring back the sweat. To the rock anthem experience, and to our daily spiritual walks. Their message-driven fifth studio album comes on strong every which way that counts, from the fist-in-the-air arena-ready anthems delivered with appropriate raucous enthusiasm, to the sports analogy-laden challenging lyrics. Incendiary as ever, Pillar’s emphasis on spiritual warfare themes rings true through all ten tracks.
Noah Henson’s blistering guitar riffs and Lester Estelle’s ferocious drums set a commanding tone from the very first measures of the title track. Pillar takes charge immediately with the brawny opener, its athletic admonitions bringing to mind Paul’s charge to the Corinthians to “run the race in such a way as to get the prize.” It’s easy to see why the single was enthusiastically embraced by sports fans across the board. The splashy percussion and guitar chords thick as ropes of “Turn It Up” bear the cleverly written lyrical homage to artists of influence in the Christian music field. With the exception of two lines, every line of lyric is an album title or song title from a cross section of artists as diverse as Michael W. Smith and Superchic[k]. Singer/songwriter Rob Beckley’s wailing vocal expresses a surprising sincerity on this track, and even more understandably on the splashy “State of Emergency,” an impassioned call to give as did the generations before.
Hard driving rocker “Reckless Youth,” inspired by Mike Yaconelli’s “Dangerous Wonder,” is impossible to resist, with its lashing guitars and bold call to pursue Christ with reckless abandon. The entire album is thick with passion and bravado, its emphasis on spiritual warfare a timely wake-up call to a generation longing for meaning. The massive movements of bouncy “The Runaway” call listeners to consider Christ, and howling standout “Throwdown,” powerfully textured with edgy guitar riffs and splashy percussion, is just as in-your-face with its call to engagement. The gritty edges and sturdy vocals of “Get Back” add to the track’s already brawny spiritual punch, and more fight images reinforce the recurring fight theme. The pulsating “I Fade Away” is reminiscent of John 3:30, reminding us that when we fade out, God can shine more clearly through us. Sarah Anthony’s guest vocal adds a luminous quality to the muscular worship track.
The only slower tempo track is the emotionally-charged “Smiling Down,” inspired by the witness of two families who have lost children. Apart from the obvious emotional impact, the track stands just as strongly as a straightforward call to faith. For The Love of The Game goes out with the howling “Forever Starts Now,” its crushing guitar riffs and dominating vocal calling us to focus on the eternal. Pillar fans will not be disappointed by this rigorous rock and roll offering, a smash waiting to happen.
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