This is an album that doesn't sound very much like what it actually is. What with all the rock-hard, bass-heavy urban reggae grooves and DJ
Monty G.'s gruff rockstone-style delivery, the casual listener -- especially one with a limited ability to decipher Jamaican patois -- could be forgiven for assuming that this is just one more raggamuffin dancehall guns-and-punany album. Look at the song titles and listen closely to the words, though, and something very different emerges: This is actually one of the better examples of what is coming to be called "gospel reggae," and it's not even very subtle about its agenda. With song titles like "Jesus Christ Is for Us" and "Come to the Altar,"
Monty G. is making no attempt to disguise his intentions. Like most music that is written to promote a specific message, be it religious or political, it stands or falls primarily on its purely musical merits -- which, in this case, are significant.
Monty G. is joined by a respectable crowd of singers and fellow DJs that includes DJ Frost and a vocal crew called Lion's Pride; the latter help him out on the supremely catchy neo-roots groove of "Eeenie-Meenie-Miney-Mo." Everywhere, the rhythms are watertight and propulsive, and
Monty G. rides them all with supreme confidence and skill. The evangelical message does get just a bit heavy at times, but not really any more so than the Rastafarian message does on classic roots reggae albums. Highly recommended.