Daniel Band - Straight Ahead (Re-issue)

Listening to a band like this reminds me of sitting in my youth pastor's office back in the early '90's.  Yeah, this album was already close to 10 years old at that time, but my youth pastor was always listening to bands like Daniel Band, Prophet, Petra, and his favorite band REZ.  Those were fun days, and even though I was a huge metal head then and still am, it made me appreciate bands like them more.  I actually became a very big REZ fan, but never really pursued the Daniel Band at all.  So when I got this album in the mail, I didn't already have a great knowledge of this classic band.  I'm not going to be able to sit here and compare it to their previous album, On Rock.  But I'll do my best to try to review this in a way that doesn't butcher the good memories that all you old Daniel Band fans have from days gone by.

For those like me who aren't familiar with the Daniel Band, they play pretty straight forward hard rock with a little bit of a metal edge at times.  Imagine a cross between Barnabas, AC/DC, and Rush.  And then make sure you get that huge late '70's/early '80's slant and you'll have a great idea of what to expect.  The music is well played and yet simple.  They do jam out a pretty good amount, but also are not afraid to slip in some ballads as well.  Vocally, Dan McCabe and Tony Rossi (who sings on 3 songs) do a solid job with their vocal style that is in the higher ranges and for the most part, non-aggressive.  Not as high as a band like Trytan, but definitely not like the gritty style of other bands in their day like REZ.

This album is being re-released by Retroactive Records along with their subsequent album, Run from the Darkness, since their previous double disc re-release went out of print.  The music has been digitally remastered, and as an incentive for Daniel Band fans who already have the previous re-release, they have included two bonus tracks from their 1980 demo. 

While I won't pretend to be the expert on bands of this style from the early '80's, I will say that this band has stood the test of time and is still held in high regard by many in the music community.  This is classic hard rock and Retroactive Records is making sure that no one forgets the great memories of the past.

Rating: 82/100

Review By: Matt Morrow

Label: Retroactive Records

Total Songs: 12

Total Time: 47:55

Tracklisting: 1. Power of Love, 2. You're All I Need, 3. Straight Ahead, 4. Here I Am, 5. T'ank You, 6. Lustful Illusions, 7. Reality, 8. Come into My Life, 9. Comin' Home, 10. In My Mind, 11. Free from Sin (1980 demo), 12. I'm Sorry (1980 demo)

Best Songs: Tracks 1, 3, 6, & 9.

Band Lineup: Matt Delduca - Drums/Percussion, Bill Findlay - Rhythm Guitar/Strings/Synthesizer/Korg Poly 6/Salt Shaker/Vocals, Dan McCabe - Bass/Fretless Bass/Lead Vocals/Vocal Harmonies, Tony Rossi - Lead Guitar/Rhythm Guitar/12 String Electric/Acoustic Guitar/Whammy Bar/Vocals/Lead Vocals.

Band Website: ???