Audio Adrenaline - Kings & Queens (ALBUM REVIEW)

When I heard there was going to be a new Audio Adrenaline record, titled Kings & Queens in 2013, it is safe to say I was interested to hear what the band could do after such a long hiatus. At one point Audio Adrenaline was one of the biggest Christian rock bands around. My initial excitement was peaked with further interest and a lot of disappointment when I found out this wasn't really Audio Adrenaline, well at least the band most of us listened to. Instead it's more of a hybrid of various other Christian rock group members under the name Audio Adrenaline. The only original member returning for this album and group from the original line-up is bass player Will McGinniss.

After hearing this I was more than bummed and figured it was another case of reunion for a cash grab. To be fair about the cash grab statement I learned some of the profits from this reunion are intended for charity. That may all be true, but the dismay I felt after hearing about the new line-up was huge. It was somewhat helped when I discovered former dc Talk singer Kevin Max will be the groups new vocalist. I enjoy some of Max's prior stuff including some of the dc Talk material. Every new member of Audio Adrenaline comes from another notable Christian band. Those bands include Relient K, Bleach, Superchick, Know Hope Collective, and of course as I mentioned dc Talk. So ex-out your hopes of hearing Mark Stuart's (original front-man of Audio Adrenaline) on the album (minus a small appearance vocally on "King Of The Comeback" - a track Stuart holds some songwriting credit on). Also cross out your hopes of hearing what the original band would sound like in 2013. It's worth noting that Stuart suffers from vocal problems and was involved with some of the songwriting and production of the new album. He is listed as a songwriter in the credits for various tracks on Kings And Queens. I've read from various sources the other remaining original members really weren't interested in a reunion.

Basically Audio Adrenaline 2.0 is a modern day alternative-pop rock group that has constructed a fairly decent radio friendly Christian rock album. In truth though it's hard to get past the fact this album and band is really not Audio Adrenaline. That being said the album is all around a pretty fun release and it's a fairly well thought out and well written album. Aside from using the name, and that kind of irking me, I think it's overall an album that contains a lot of songs I like.  You can't help but listen to this and it end up feeling slightly like a dc Talk album due to Kevin Max being the vocalist. So if you are a fan of dc Talk you should be able to enjoy this.

It lacks a little of the harder rock sound some of the more classic Audio Adrenaline material had. That is another thing missing on this album. Kings & Queens just doesn't sound like an Audio Adrenaline album. It sounds like a pop album mixed very slightly with rock. The last two tracks on the album "I Climb The Mountain" and "The Answer" may be a couple of the songs from the album that more closely resemble the previous Audio Adrenaline material. However the similarities only come in flashes on those songs. Audio Adrenaline was always at their best when they had a somewhat post grunge sound. That just isn't found on this album in many places if at all really.

I think Audio Adrenaline is a band that had previously built somewhat of a legacy and a legendary status in the Christian rock world. I'm not sure what this album adds to Audio Adrenaline's legacy, if anything at all. It feels like such an odd album to be made under the name. It in no way feels like a natural progression from previous albums. It just sounds like a new band.

In closing I can't help but feel slightly disappointed. I would definitely prefer this group of musicians under a new name. I think a new name would have suited the group being as they are a new entity almost entirely. I feel like judging this new Audio Adrenaline against the old Audio Adrenaline is kind of unfair but inevitable due to the fact they have chosen to use the name. I also kind of feel like the Christian rock community would have still gotten behind this one due to the notable names involved without having to use the name of basically another band. However, there is also no doubt in my mind that had they used a different name they would have never seen the amount of publicity and interest that they have seen using the Audio Adrenaline name.

I'm also sure some old fans will really enjoy hearing classic tracks by this new line-up at shows. If you are just getting into Audio Adrenaline from this album you should be able to enjoy it fine. However, I'd urge you to go back through their catalog as the original band wrote quite a few good albums and I think some of those represent a better starting point to get into the band. I'm also not urging anyone to stray away from Kings & Queens because it is some fairly decent pop/alternative/rock. The change in the line-up may throw you for a loop, as it did me, but I would definitely recommend checking it out. You can tell the new band put a lot of effort into making a good album.