If Rise Again sounds too much like Stabbing Westward, it’s because singer Christopher Hall and keyboardist/programmer Walter Flaka were original members and the key songwriters of Stabbing Westward.  They stated that their intention was to deliver an album that brought back the early Stabbing Westward sound that fans had been asking for. The Dreaming is rounded out with guitarist Carlton Bost (Orgy, Deadsy), bassist Brent Ashley (Static-X) and one-time Stabbing Westward drummer Johnny Haro.

On the band’s third album (their first for Metropolis Records) Rise Again incorporates elements of rock, electronic, and dark wave much more successfully than their previous efforts. Top tracks include “Alone” the first track and single off the album. ”Painkillers”  a formulaic industrial-rock number. “Kisses Taste Like Death” is probably the heaviest guitar driven track on the record. “Throw It Away” is a heartfelt mid-tempo ballad and “Destroy”  is a well orchestrated wall of industrial drones, electronics and guitars.

Looking back at the band’s track record of taking years between albums, I really do hope that the next ‘Dreaming’ record doesn’t take another 4 years. Rise Again is a phenomenal record and I highly recommend it to fans of Stabbing Westward, Zeromancer, Orgy.

This post was written by:

Henry Chung – When Henry’s not busy updating this page and speaking in third person, he’s busy shooting and editing pictures from concerts and designing logos for bands.