Search - Peace of Mind :: Peace of Mind

Rap and rock in cosmic oneness!

C. W. Fitch | Wichita Falls, TX | 05/07/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I took a look at the cover of this CD and said, "Hey, isn't that--yeah! And that's..." Who would've thought: one of the biggest talents in Christian hip-hop and one of the most recognized names in Christian rock, together in one band?!! Well, it's true, it's true, and it's a very good thing.
Of course, I'm talking about KJ-52 and Pete Stewart, respectively. To see them put together a project like this is something I'm sure at least some Christian rap-rock fans have been wondering about, and it is truly excellent. Good ol' Pete, producing genius that he is, has done it again, although in a way I never thought he would. His recordings with Grammatrain, his former band, were rock art in its purest form, and he takes that sound to another level. The crunchy, dynamic guitar hooks that flavor most every track will definitely get your head bobbing, kind of like the dolls they give away at Major League baseball games. KJ-52's silky-smooth, intelligent, and sometimes comical rhymes and rap style are a perfect complement to the guitar and drums. He really knows how to rock out! It's rap-rock the way it should be heard. Another good thing: these guys went to all the trouble of actually getting a live drummer to thump away on some of the songs.
Like some other bands with similar style out there, Peace of Mind aren't at all angry, about anything; they're just trying to convey a positive, spiritual message. At times the spiritual inflections get a little extreme ("Coming Soon"), but hey, these are desperate times, right? Don't worry, though, only one or two tracks are like that. They get silly, too ("Will You Go Out With Me?"), and go into the punk sound a time or two as well. The range of emotion is pretty diverse on the album, going from mellow ("We Gon Make It", "After All") to hardcore ("I Am") and back again. The track arrangement seems rather dicey, but most folks just jump around to the songs they like anyway.
All told, this is a very solid rap-rock effort, and it sounds excellent. If you're into that sound, by all means check it out. Hopefully KJ and Pete will get together again for another collaboration, but right now there's a slight gut feeling that this was a one-time thing. Kinda like Audioslave."