Atomic Arena

Track Listings

1. Imaginary Music

2. Killers of the Unborn

3. In the Eye of the Fire

4. Terrorist Child

5. Close to the Edge

6. Deadlock

7. Cultic Regimes

8. Heaven or Nothing

9. King of Kings

10. Living Dead

Tracks:

Imaginary Music
Killers Of The Unborn
In The EyesOf The Fire
Terrorist Child
Close To The Edge
Dead Locks
Cultic Regimes
Heaven Or Nothing
King Of Kings
Living Dead

Customer Reviews:

Enter the Arena.......2007-05-07

Released in 1987, Atomic Arena was the second (and in my opinion the best) studio album by Christian metallers Barren Cross. If Stryper gave the faithful a righteous alternative to Bon Jovi and Dokken, Barren Cross's blazing guitars and Dickenson-esque vocal delivery was a "gift from above" for metalheads who preferred Iron Maiden and Dio's heavier approach. Besides, there's just something appealing about a band of earnest Christians who drew such obvious influence from albums like Holy Diver and The Number of the Beast.

Atomic Arena was a big step forward for Barren Cross. The songwriting, musical and vocal performances, and production were all noticeably better than the band's debut (1986's Rock for the King), thanks in no small part to the behind-the-scenes involvement of John and Dino Elefante. Where Rock for the King was a hard rock album with a metal edge, Atomic Arena is a polished American power metal album with amazing guitar hooks, powerful soaring vocals, and some very well-crafted songs.

One of Barren Cross's best attributes is that they are viewed above all as a very talented metal band. You didn't have to subscribe to their faith to enjoy their music. Any time this band comes up in conversation, even the most jaded metal fan has to admit a grudging respect for Barren Cross's music, if not a real appreciation. There aren't a lot of Christian metal bands with that kind of reputation. That said; Barren Cross' message was never compromised. The band held to its Christian message while tacking some of the day's major social issues (terrorism, abortion, drug use, etc.) In some cases, this approach works very well (Terrorist Child, Close To the Edge), and in others it just seems clumsy and forced (Killers of the Unborn and Deadlock). Let's face it; a cautionary tale about drug use is going to have a lot more relevance coming from someone who's been there.

Overall, Atomic Arena is an extremely strong metal album. It stumbles at times, but the sheer power on display here more than makes up for any missteps. I won't go so far as to call it a must-have metal album, but anyone who enjoys bands like Iron Maiden, Dio, Judas Priest, and Armored Saint could do a lot worse than checking out Barren Cross.

NOTE: Atomic Arena was reissued in 2004, making this long out of print title available again with digitally remastered sound. The sonic makeover breathes new life into this classic album.

A highlight of the hair metal days.......2006-01-27

In the late 80's hair metal ruled the music scene. Spandex, hair spray and hard rock were in. On the Christian music scene there were a few bands that emerged during this time that really stuck out as leaders and Barren Cross were one of them. Atomic Arena is an amazing album that not only has great music but also deals with real issues like abortion and the unsaved. Their music resembles AC/DC, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest from the secular music side. Highlights on this album include:

Imaginary Music
Killers of the Unborn
In The Eye of the Fire
Terrorist Child
Close To the Edge
Cultic Regimes
Heaven or Nothing

I could have easily put all of the songs on this albums as highlights as they're all really good. The saddest thing about Barren Cross is the timing - their career had barely started when Nirvana came along and changed the entire music scene leaving bands that played anything even close to 'hair metal' as uncool. This is a great album and should be played often and loud!

Production,songcraft stepped up for 2nd release from BC.......2005-03-15

While their debut was the hardest sound in Christendom at the time, the addition of the production team of Dino and John Elefante firmed up the metal attack, making the hooks sharper on their sophomore disc.

The Elefantes stitch a thick bottom from Jim LaVerde into Steve Whitaker's rhythms to give Barren Cross a solid foundation to work from. Ray Parris contributes competent if only occasionally flashy guitar, and Mike Lee's pipes nail it all home (Check out his extended wailing on "What do you know?" in the 2nd verse of "Imaginary Music". It extends over 13 seconds climbing three times). The band roars out of the gate and only stalls a few times with a near perfect release.

Best tracks here are the anti-suicide anthem "In the Eye of the Fire", which starts off with a great descending bass riff and never lets up, throwing in some tricky time signature changes along the way, "Deadlock" paints a picture of the addict ('Hot Steel, the pipe's never cold anymore, The more you feel, the more you can't let go..") and gives Whitaker a chance to show off some double-bass thump, near thrash "Cultic Regimes" rails against phony religion ("Listen to this, the Bible it says, one God's the maker of all, If you don't believe Jesus is God, MY God made YOURS, that's all!"), "King of Kings" is worship at full volume and has probably Parris' most frenetic fretwork. It wraps up with epic "Living Dead", a call to those who don't know God.

Weak spots are the mandatory power ballad (hey, it was the 80s) on "Heaven or Nothing", which compares a woman's beauty with the afterlife: weak theology at best...really bad metaphor at worst. Another stinker is an anti-terrorist rant which seems to imply that the young children being indoctrinated should know better on their own ("Terrorist Child").

Bottom Line: Despite those two missteps, this is a great CD and criminally unknown. Every Christian metal fan should own this and openminded heavy metal fans will probably find quite a bit to enjoy here,too.

A true metal classic!.......2004-06-10

"Atomic Arena," Barren Cross' sophomore record released in 1987, remains not only one of the greatest Christian metal recordings of all time, but a timeless metal classic, PERIOD. Vocalist Mike Lee reminds many fans of Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson, and I can also notice some hints of Ozzy as well. Ray Parris is an outstanding guitarist, and bassist Jim LaVerde & drummer Steve Whitaker made a formidable rhythm section. "Atomic Arena" shows unbelievable growth, both musically & lyrically, from BC's debut "Rock for the King," continuing many of the spiritual/Christian themes from RFTK, plus several songs which attack important issues--"Killers of the Unborn" (abortion), "In the Eye of the Fire" (suicide), "Terrorist Child" (terrorism), "Dead Lock" (drug/alcohol abuse), and "Cultic Regimes" (religious cults). Other noteworthy songs include "Imaginary Music," "Close to the Edge," "King of Kings" & "Living Dead." For classic heavy metal music, and one of the greatest Christian metal albums ever, Barren Cross' classic "Atomic Arena" is definitely a must-have!

The PMRC would have went after them with a vengence.......2004-05-25

Had they been as popular as Stryper...But they were not and that's sad. They are a very heavy sounding band with some great music. You could easily think that Bruce Dickenson left Iron Maiden and joined Barren Cross. They have very strong beliefs and let nothing get in the way of them and they rocked their asses off doing it. The production of this album is a little fuzzy but the music and the power behind it speak loudly. With music that sounded like Armoured Saint and Maidenesque vocals Barren Cross covered alot of ground from Imaginary Music (the rigors of fast living on mind body and soul) Killers Of The Unborn (abortion from the baby's point of view) Terrorist Child (Teaching children to hate)Close To The Edge (A unique song about telling you the listener that you are a good person)Deadlock (the drug song) Heaven Or Nothing (A really cool love song but to who: a person or God?)Living Dead (About becoming Born Again put in a more desperate way) Take it from me; I am not a christian and I love Power and Black Metal bands but I listen to everything else as well that is good, but this album really does rock and will cuase you to look twice at judging a book by it's cover.

Average customer rating:

Enter the Arena

Atomic Arena
Barren Cross
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Christian Rock | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Christian Contemporary Music | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000E76A
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Imaginary Music
Killers of the Unborn
In the Eye of the Fire
Terrorist Child
Close to the Edge
Deadlock
Cultic Regimes
Heaven or Nothing
King of Kings
Living Dead

Customer Reviews:

Enter the Arena.......2007-05-07

Average customer rating:

Enter the Arena

Atomic Arena
Barren Cross
Manufacturer: Restless Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Christian Rock | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Christian Contemporary Music | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000008D8J
Release Date: 1994-04-01

Tracks:

Imaginary Music
Killers of the Unborn
In the Eye of the Fire
Terrorist Child
Close to the Edge
Deadlock
Cultic Regimes
Heaven or Nothing
King of Kings
Living Dead

Customer Reviews:

Enter the Arena.......2007-05-07

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review

1. Imaginary Music
2. Killers of the Unborn
3. In the Eye of the Fire
4. Terrorist Child
5. Close to the Edge
6. Deadlock
7. Cultic Regimes
8. Heaven or Nothing
9. King of Kings
10. Living Dead