In the Christian rock world, there has long been a considerable amount of debate over the effectiveness of lyrics that are only subliminally Christian. "How," the more strident Christian fundamentalists argue, "are you going to convert the unconverted if your lyrics are barely recognizable as Christianity-inspired lyrics?" And the proponents of the subliminal approach will counter that if your lyrics are too overt or too preachy, you won't even get your foot in a nonbeliever's door. So bearing those arguments in mind, it is safe to say that
the Chariot have at least gotten a foot in the door where secular audiences are concerned. Lyrically,
Wars and Rumors of Wars doesn't beat listeners over the head with Christianity; the Christian-oriented message is there, although you have to be on the lookout for it. But musically, there is nothing subtle about this 30-minute CD. The Chariot continue to be a dense, clobbering sledgehammer of a metalcore band, and no prisoners are taken on vicious tracks such as "Teach," "Impress," "Evolve," and "Daggers." But for all their harshness,
the Chariot have a strong sense of groove; therefore, if one has a taste for this type of extreme metal,
Wars and Rumors of Wars is a very easy album to get into. Metal this abrasive is definitely an acquired taste, but someone who appreciates hooky metalcore agitators like
Throwdown and
Hatebreed will find that
the Chariot can be equally infectious in their own scorching way. And because
the Chariot's Christian message isn't nearly as in your face as their music, this 2009 release won't be off-putting to secular audiences.
Wars and Rumors of Wars is enthusiastically recommended to both Christian and secular metalcore fans. ~ Alex Henderson