THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(10-TRACKS)
1-HOLIEST ONE
2-LIFE ON THE LINE
3-RUN TO THE WATER
4-WHEN IT ALL COMES DOWN
5-TAKEN DOWN BELOW
6-STAMPEDE
7-LIVING FOR YOU
8-THIEF IN THE NIGHT
9-PEOPLE IN THIS TIME
10-IT IS DONE
CREDIT:
Dave Amato: Guitars, Lead and Background Vocals
Tom Bowes: Lead Vocals
Steph Burns: Guitars
Bob Carlisle: Background Vocals
Dino Elefante: Producer, Arranger, Songwriter, Guitars, Bass
John Elefante: Producer, Engineer, Mixed, Arranger, Songwriter, Keyboards, Lead and Background Vocals
Mac Jack: Drums
James Dean Longacre: Lead Vocals
Bob Ludwig: Mastered
Mike Mierau: Engineer
Tony Palacios: Songwriter, Guitars
John Pierce: Bass
David Raven: Drums
Phil Rowland: Drums
John Andrew Schreiner: Keyboards
Jeff Simmons: Engineer
Michael Thompson: Guitars.
MASTEDON-IT'S A JUNGLE OUT THERE-1989
THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(10-TRACKS)
1-IT'S A JUNGLE OUT THERE
2-GLORYBOUND
3-THIS IS THE DAY
4-LIVE INHALATION
5-ISLANDS IN THE SKY
6-GET UP
7-LOVE THAT WILL SURVIVE
8-INNOCENT GIRL
9-SHINE ON
10-RIGHT HAND
11-WASN'T IT LOVE(From Various Classic Metal)
12-SEX-(Not From this record)
CREDIT:
Dave Amato: Lead Guitar, Lead and Background Vocals
Steff Burnbaum: Lead Guitar
Dino Elefante: Producer, Engineer, Mixed, Songwriter, Rhythm Guitar, Bass, Background Vocals
John Elefante: Producer, Engineer, Mixed, Songwriter, Keyboards, Drums, Lead and Background Vocals
Coni Gayle: Lead Vocals
Steve Hall: Mastered
Bob Hartman: Songwriter
Jimmy Johnson: Bass
Perry Lee: Lead Vocals
Michelle Lynn: Lead Vocals
Mike Mierau: Engineer, Mixed
David Pack: Lead Vocals
John Patitucci: Fretless Bass
John Pierce: Bass
David Raven: Drums
Dave Robbins: Lead Vocals
Ben Rodgers: Engineer
Phil Rowland: Drums
Jeff Simmons: Engineer
Let's Talk About."It's A Jungle Out There", Mastedon's debut was one of 1989's biggest highlights, with a winning formula of gritty hard rock, musical imagination, and most of all variety. Unfortunately between then and the recording of "Lofcaudio" the Elefante brothers appear to have lost the blueprint of that formula. Once again John and Dino have enlisted the talents of a number of guest musicians and vocalists, including Guardians's guitarist extraordinaire Tony Palacios, and the marvellously gifted vocalist Dave Amato. So where have Mastedon gone wrong? Firstly and most importantly the variety has gone. Whereas "It's A Jungle Out There" had the Cinderella, AC/DC raspings of X-Sinner's David Robbins, and the David Lee Roth-style Perry Lee, "Lofcaudio" has four vocalists namely John Elefante, Dave Amato, Tom Bowes, and James Dean Longacre who are all undoubtedly very talented but they all have very similar vocal styles. Secondly the music is mid-tempo, "safe" AOR instead of the decidedly more experimental jazz-influenced style John Elefante showed in his time with Kansas, or the storming hard rock of Mastedon's debut. Really it is too much of the same thing, which makes this album drop in my estimation. There are still some good quality tracks on this album namely the opener "Holiest One", 'Life On The Line", "when It All Comes Down" and the Kansas style "Thief In The Night". However it must be said that Mastedon set a standard with their debut that "Lofcaudio" could not follow up. However yet again as I gripped with the Halo album, the biggest tragedy is that Tony Palacios still doesn't get a chance to melt the fretboard!!And What About With Thier Dabut In 1987 Regency Music released a compilation album called 'California Metal'. It featured many up-and-coming white metal bands from, you guessed it, California. Among others it featured a mysterious band called Mastedon, the track recorded, "Wasn't It Love", is soon to become some kind of a classic. The only clue as to where this track had come from was that it was written by John and Dino lefante, the two who so excellently produce the likes of Barren Cross and Petra. In '88 Mastedon appeared again on 'California Metal 2' with "Get Up". This, like "Wasn't It Love", is great AOR, the kind of musical excellence that should be, but unfortunately isn't shown on all Christian rock/metal albums. 'It's A Jungle Out There!' has been available on import here for several months, receiving rave reviews from secular music mags such as Kerrang! and Metal Force, and after listening to the album it's easy to hear why. I don't think there is a dud on the whole album. "Shine On" is an excellent rock ballad, "Glorybound", "Love Inhalation" and "Right Hand" have to fight for the top spot while "Love Inhalation" features a wonderfully catchy chorus. But "Right Hand" has first place simply because of the excellent music. I can't really recommend this one enough. Buy two copies, one for yourself and one for that friend who says he won't listen to Christian rock 'cause it's second class music. Please note that the brothers did not approach Mastedon as a John Elefante solo album or even as a band but rather a project. And when taking into consideration that a total of five lead vocalists participated on it in addition to three drummers, four bassists and three guitarists, it remained a project in the truest sense of the word. From a musical standpoint, It's A Jungle Out There can best be described as catchy and commercial flavored melodic hard rock certain to appeal to fans of Jamie Rowe-era Guardian, Novella, Shout and AdrianGale.It's A Jungle Out There showcases a professional sounding production job with polished big budget-like sonics. A near perfect mix of rhythm and lead guitar is underscored by strong and steady bass lines. While the drums sound satisfactory, they could have stood out in a crisper and cleaner sounding manner.The album artwork is very well done in placing the face of a "mastodon" over the skyline of a big city. The track listing on the back of the CD jewel case, however, does not follow the order the songs are played back.The albums hard rocking title track perfectly complements Dave Robbins (X-Sinner) sassy lead vocal style. The driving guitar riff introducing the song carries it strong and steady to a catchy chorus bolstered in a near mesmerizing manner by polished vocal harmonies. An instrumental passage limited to several seconds of rhythm guitar, on the other hand, does not quite cut it.The classic rock influenced voice of Dave Amato brings out the best in the melodic hard rocker "Glory Bound". Quickly jumping out of the gate to a combination of rhythm guitar and keyboards, smooth sounding vocal harmonies accent the song as it approaches a chorus with a huge radio friendly hook. Amato's sharp sounding lead guitar work carries the song over its last forty seconds. "Glory Bound" details the believer’s eternal destiny:
A compelling blend of keyboards and bass reinforces the melodic rock of "This Is The Day" during its first verse before it picks up in pace upon attaining a good commercial flavored chorus. The only drawback to the song comes in the form of its lack of an instrumental passage.Perry Lee contributes his raw and raspy voice to the energetic guitar driven hard rocker "Love Inhalation". Set in motion to an upfront mix of rhythm guitar, the song rapidly moves forward until it crests for a catchy chorus carried at an upbeat tempo. Amato tops "Love Inhalation" off with thirty seconds of fiery lead guitar work.After an acoustic guitar underlined by keyboards propels the ballad "Islands In The Sky" through its verse portions, it picks up in pace prior to reaching a melodic based chorus with a good emotional feel. A nice bluesy guitar solo takes the song through a thirty second instrumental break. "Islands In The Sky" talks about following your dreams:and what about the track, "SEX" That was un undreground track floating on One Compillation Of Petra That never Apears on any other album or either other compilation("SEX" Talk About the society failed from the good rights of life,that complain all the nasty society That pretend to be Rather more whiter And Wiser that the holy bible,anyway note that you can listen to this style of music on my Christian comunity,(http://www.holymetalrob.com/)
