Few Left Standing - Regeneration of Self (1999)
Metal, metal, metal baby! They may call themselves hardcore, but the metal assault led by these Memphis boys is sure to leave few left standing. We're talking about massive hardcore metal in the same vein as
the latest offerings from Living Sacrifice. "Regeneration of Self" is a superb debut that is sure to turn some metal heads, and this is, by far, my favorite band on Take Hold. Simply stated, Few Left Standing have
recorded one of the absolute best discs of 1999. The album opens with a short sample from the cult-classic Evil Dead 2 and then rips into a blistering blast beat a la "Reborn Empowered." A melodic, yet heavy, guitar riff
directs the band to settle into a nice groove that frames the first half of the song. The absolutely harsh vocals of Christopher Stafford then take center stage, reminding many of Bruce Fitzhugh and/or Corey Putman from Eso-Charis,
with lyrics that simply demand to be sung along to ("lord of filth / rebuke you / be prepared in season and out for the wrath of the Almighty"). In the
second half, they tear into a sick breakdown with more vocals that
refuse to allow the listener to remain silent ("Satan we rebuke you / In the name of Jesus Christ"). I dare you to try and not scream your lungs out with Christopher! And, that's just the first track! I could go on about
every song on this disc, but some of the other highlights include "Restoration," which is a prayer to God that incorporates a passage from the 23rd Psalm and music that starts soft and builds to all the heaviness and
emotion of someone truly crying out to God with all their heart. "Tongues of Vipers" begins with an appropriate line from Nicholas Cage (I think) followed by a massive groove and unrelenting intensity that will have you
smashing holes in your walls in no time. The album closes with the title track, a short acoustic instrumental which has become a common addition to many of the more recent metal discs. The lyrics throughout the entire
album are bold and emotional ranging from the wicked sinfulness of humanity to unashamed praise and worship. Being recorded and engineered by the mighty Barry Poynter, and with production duties handled by none other than the
aforementioned Bruce Fitzhugh, you already know it's good. Here's a simple equation for you to remember: Fitzhugh + Poynter = METAL MAYHEM! Do yourself a huge favor and get this disc ASAP! -- Review by Jason