One of my all-time favorite albums is The End Is Not the End by House of Heroes. House of Heroes is a (Christian) alternative rock band. I put Christian in parentheses because, while the band used to be signed to a Christian record label (they're now independent), I don't think they really openly identified and toured as a Christian band. If I really sat down and thought about it, I don't think The End Is Not the End would be my #1 album of all time, but it would definitely be in the running. This album came out 10 years ago this week, so I thought this week I'd listen to the album again and write a few thoughts. You're welcome to give it a listen yourself on YouTube by clicking on this link. Otherwise, you can simply read my thoughts. And if alternative music isn't really your jam, feel free to come back to the blog some other week. Here we go!
I really appreciate the energy of this album. Some tracks are slower, but the album never drags. Pretty much all the songs are catchy, and they've all got that solid guitar and drum rock feel. "If," the first real track on the album, is probably my favorite song on the album. The lyrics are pretty interesting in places, and I just think it's a cool song. I think this album has some good variety. The songs definitely don't all sound the same, though they do fit together pretty well. "Dangerous" has a chorus that always gets stuck in my head. Many of the songs of the album feel like they could be telling a WWII story. A good example is "In the Valley of the Dying Sun," which describes a soldier being forced to kill to survive. "Code Name: Raven" is another one of my favorites. I love its rhythm. "By Your Side" is more of a ballad, and it contains the album title as part of its lyrics. "Journey into Space (Part One)" is the last of my favorite songs. The instrumental section before the last chorus is great, and I've always enjoyed when the guitars drop out, leaving just vocals and drums for a bit close to the end. "Baby's a Red" is a lovely tune about being in love with a Communist, so that's fun. Another song snippet that always gets stuck in my head is the end of "Faces," which describes a fighter pilot being shot down. Part of why I love this album so much is its consistent quality. There are obviously some songs that I like more than others, but there's not a single song that I dislike or even think is just okay. They're all good, and a few are downright great. Plus, we get a bonus track at the end in "The Young and Brutal." Fun stuff!
Listening to this album always makes me happy. That must be why I listen to it so often. I hope you enjoyed it as well!
Grace and peace,
BMH
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