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Following the great success of The Insyderz'
second album, the original Skalleluia, many youth ministries
and individuals around the world requested a second similar disc.
Now comes the band's fourth disc, that requested follow-up.
It seems a shame to call this disc ska;
almost completely gone are the skanking guitars traditional to third-wave
ska. In their place comes a punk sound, complete with double-speed drumming
and extremely loud, distorted guitars. The transition from third-wave ska
to skacore, begun on The Insyderz' Skalleluia and continued throughout
Fight of My Life, is complete here. The horns almost seem extraneous
at times, such as during The Insyderz' original track "When I Look Up."
Where the first Skalleluia! disc
drew largely from classic praise and worship material, such as the Integrity
and Maranatha catalogs, the new disc focuses on the new wave of praise
and worship that's been sweeping across the world, showcasing tracks from
Australia's Hillsongs ("Peace of God," "Shout to the Lord") and the United
Kingdom's Deliriou5? ("I Could Sing of Your Love Forever.") Also highlighted
is the incredible Mercy/Vineyard catalog ("Who is This," "In the Secret
(I Want to Know You)," "Psalm 121 (I Lift My Eyes Up)," and "Pour Out My
Heart.")
Among the standout tracks on this CD is
the original song "When I Look Up."
Did I do what
I was called to do?
Did I do what You wanted
me to?
Did I be the best that
I could be?
And will Your mercy cover
me?
Other really enjoyable songs included the
band's interpretation of "Shout to the Lord" (easily one of the most played
worship songs of our day), "In the Secret" and the classic Rich Mullins
song "Step by Step" (written by long-time Mullins collaborator David Beaker),
during which the Insyderz' classic ska sound returns.
One track that really could have been left
out was "The Old Rugged Cross." Sang Kim, the band's instrumentally
multi talented brass player, takes the lead vocal for this song. His Elvis-style
vocals (complete with someone saying "thank you, thank you very much" in
the middle of the song) really seem incompatible with the swing music backing
it. The song also makes a second appearance as a "bonus" track at the end
of the disc, sung in a foreign language.
Throughout the disc, none of the vocals
seem to be "up" in the mix enough; on occasion it is hard to distinguish
Yerke's vocals from the backing instrumentation. The cover, which bears
a strong resemblance to the original Skalleluia! is clever, and
the lyrics are well laid out and easy to read.
While not as strong as the first Skalleluia
album, this is a fine addition to The Insyderz' catalog and should be considered
by anyone looking for a modern praise and worship experience.
Josh Marihugh 11/6/99
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