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It was 20 years ago that Mike Stand and the Altar Boys started giving the rebellious youth-group crowd something to sing about with their Southern California, punk new wave rallying anthems such as "GLM," "I'm into God," and "When You're a Rebel." After a brief solo career in the early nineties and two critically-acclaimed modern rock albums with his new band Clash of Symbols, Stand hung up the microphone in 1995 and had remained out of the music spotlight since.

Stand and Clash of Symbols have returned with a pop-flavored, upbeat offering called _Full Circle_. Fourteen band members are listed in the liner notes, and production credit is given to Gene Eugene, who died in March 2000, but not before lending his expertise to most of the tracks on the disc.

Stand has described the music of the Altar Boys as "Beatles sped up," and in that sense he has indeed come full circle as the band has forgone the heavier sounds of the past two Symbols albums for a record that is replete with summery hooks and poppy melodies.

Full Circle starts off with the upbeat "Live." Expressing a longing to live a deeper life, Stand sings: "So mark the road I'm walking / Wisdom when I'm talking / Something when there's nothing, to live is to You."

This is followed by "When You're Listening," a possible radio single that was made to fill car speakers on a summer day.

Stand has always been fond of writing songs that defiantly proclaim his faith in the midst of skepticism. "Always on My Mind" is no exception to this, as Stand sings "They say in time, I'll outgrow it / Like a phase of mine, wrongly chosen...But I'll listen to the voice that was always on my mind."

The title track is melodic and smooth. Here we find Stand introspective and examining his life and how he's been led back to the essentials: "These are the things important to me now / Ring around my finger / toys on the ground / ninos wait for their favorite song / tu conteras y yo cantera." A string section is provided in this song by J'anna Jacoby and Beth Balmer. Musically, the listener is reminded somewhat of the John Lennon song, "Jealous Guy" (but without the whistling).

"Song You Can't Tune Out" should appeal to fans of Stand's work with Altar Boys. Another summery song, this track features some classic Mike Stand vocal straining.

The Beatles' influence continues with "Heaven to Heart," which features a Harrison-esque guitar.

Full Circle's last listed track is a subdued tune titled "The Hill." Balmer's lush cello fills out this song, which would be appropriate for an Easter morning service. This is followed by a hidden track tacked on the end, an acoustic version of "Full Circle."

It's great to hear Stand's bold vocals on a brand new record. From the sound of things, he hasn't lost a step, and has matured as a songwriter. Full Circle should appeal to those who enjoy a good musical ride, and is a must for any Mike Stand fan celebrating 20 years of rock from this legend.

Dave Kerschbaum 7/14/2002

 Back in college in the early 1980s I discovered the first real wave of Christian punk and new wave bands, among them being the Altar Boys.  I have fond memories of their first few albums, culminating in the classic disc Gut Level Music.  Going back and listening to those albums I find them very dated...and while they were "cutting-edge" at the time, they sound very tame these days.

Fast-forward twenty years and Altar Boys frontman Mike Stand is back with another release with his band, Clash of Symbols.  The unfortunate thing is that this just sounds like an Altar Boys redux, with the decibels turned down a bit.  There is nothing new here.  Nothing to write home about.  On its own it's a decent enough CCM-ish sorta album.

Stand still has one of the cooler voices around, but he should be doing so much more.  The music and lyrics are so run-of-the-mill, and I expected so much more.  I'll stick with the Altar Boys back catalog from now on.

 
Ken Mueller 7/16/02