Search - Guardian :: Miracle Mile

The best Guardian to date, in my humble opinion.

mcflytrap | Marshall, MI United States | 06/03/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First off, I'm gonna plug my site here: ...as of now, it's the only up-to-date Guardian site on the net. The band is no more, but their spirit lives on in their music.With that said, "Miracle Mile" is an astonishing album. It grabs you from the get-go and doesn't look back. Reminiscent of the late 80s early 90s hard rock that defined radio and television, Guardian took this style and made it their own with Jamie Rowe's impressive vocals (outshining IMO the best of the mainstream vocalists like Axl and Bon Jovi) and Tony Palacios' killer guitar playing. Many many bands will stop right here, but Guardian has one of the best bassists and drummers in the industry, completing the band with only 4.If you're looking to rock out, highlight tracks are "Shoeshine Johnny", "Let It Roll", "Mr. Do Wrong", "Sister Wisdom", "Curiosity Killed the Cat", and "You & I". For the softer side of the band, they have some amazing ballads. "I Found Love", "Sweet Mystery", "The Captain", and "Do You Know What Love Is?" are so spectacular, you'll be leaving all your other ballad-laden albums in their cases. And rightfully so! You may call me a Guardian fanatic, but I just like good music.I find a reoccuring problem with many fans of a certain band is a lack of variety in their music. I've read many old school rockers ripping on Guardian's newer albums because it doesn't have that arena hard rock sound like they want. Of course, I love the old stuff as well as the new, but to get an idea of where I'm coming from, another one of my favorite bands is Radiohead...a polar opposite of anything Guardian's done (although RH's "The Bends" is listed as a favorite of vocalist Jamie Rowe's albums). As far as rock music goes, I love anything from Jackson Browne, Zeppelin, and Floyd to Radiohead, Plankeye, Bride, Starflyer 59, Wilco, Jim Brickman, Delirious, and Travis. And with that said, Guardian's "Miracle Mile" leaves any other album in the dust, IMO...save Radiohead's "OK Computer" (I really can't decide which I like better).Enough of that. Get this album. Then get "Fire & Love". Then get "Swing, Swang, Swung". Then open your mind for a new style and get the darker "Buzz" and the alternative sounding "Bottle Rocket". Eat, breath, and sleep Guardian. All your base are belong to us."

Wow, I wasn't expecting this!

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 10/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Despite being a long-time fan of rock and metal, I was just not prepared for Miracle Mile. I have plenty of other Christian bands in my collection, but this was my first Guardian disc. I was essentially expecting the righteous equivalent of some other mainstream band - Whitecross is to Ratt what Barren Cross is to Iron Maiden is what Guardian is to...you get the idea. Guardian, with their Miracle Mile album, just shattered that expectation. Their unique sound does not follow any one band or even a particular genre. That's not to say they don't have a familiar sound, because there are elements of other bands present. The closest point of comparison would be Mr. Big meets King's X with hints of Giant and Tyketto.



Miracle Mile is a brilliant album in every sense of the word. It's quite well written, holding to a central concept and theme while maintaining the individuality of each song. Each song stands on its own, but taken as a whole they have even more impact. The lyrics are cleverly written as well. Unlike some of their fellow Christian rockers, Guardian does not wear their spirituality on their sleeve or wield their faith like a blunt instrument. The lyrics present a story and some positive themes, but the listener is free to interpret them. It is obviously written by a Christian band, but not in a way that would make the average listener feel uncomfortable. It doesn't hurt that the lyrics are delivered by a truly outstanding vocalist who injects real emotion and energy into his performance.



The music is excellent too. It's probably closer to melodic hard rock than anything else, but it definitely does not take a formulaic approach. While bands like Slaughter and Firehouse were giving us "metal by the numbers" in 1993, Guardian provided a rock & roll album with some metal undertones and a healthy dose of rhythm and blues, as well as some heartfelt lyrics with plenty of conviction. I have to think that if the country hadn't been in the middle of its grunge infatuation, Miracle Mile could have made a major impact. Instead it is probably one of the best albums most people have never heard. Much to my dismay, it took me more than a decade to discover this album.



Miracle Mile is a powerful album, and I recommend it highly. Metal purists will probably want to pass it by, as it is not really an aggressive album, but fans of melodic hard rock, hair metal, AOR, or just plain rock and roll should by all means check this one out. You'll probably find yourself bobbing your head and singing along before you know it!

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Miraculous indeed!!

Scott A. Pickett | Camden,Arkansas | 07/20/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw this band on a late night Christian video show called Zmusic a few years back with a video from Fire and love and I must say that I was blown away!! I had to go out and get it so I could experience Guardian for myself. I thoroughly enjoyed F&L so when I saw this I had to give it a spin. I would truly put this up against any of the "secular" bands such as Gotthard,Harem Scarem,House of Lords,and TNT. Yes,they are that good.There's not any filler material here as the entire cd has a good flow.Contray to popular belief,Stryper is not the only Melodic Rock band with a positive message.If you don't pick this cd up at these prices on Amazon,it ought to be a sin."