Search - Petra :: God Fixation

Okay guys, quit playing around ...

Brent A. Mikel | Maysville, GA | 11/26/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"One of the most dangerous things you can do is criticize a craftsman who takes great pride in his craft. "Gulp" - here goes.I have been a Petra fan since "More Power To Ya" (1982). I have even purchased the albums prior to that, and have all the studio (non "best-of") collections since then (except "Double Take"). My opinion is that the strongest efforts came between 1988 and 1993 ("On Fire", "Petra Praise: The Rock Cries Out", "Beyond Belief", "Unseen Power", and "Wake-up Call"). The band has changed drastically since then a couple of times, and the present line-up is the umpteenth "new" band in several years. No offense, but that takes a toll on the quality of music released.Gone is the full-time creative genius of Bob Hartman. He still plays on the albums and contributes songs, but his efforts are limited now. Also gone are the musical wizardry of John Lawry (keyboards) and adept writing skills of Ronnie Cates (bass). Even Jim Cooper's (more keyboards) and David Lichens' (more guitars) talents have moved on to other directions. Hopefully, the new nucleus of Pete Orta, Lonnie Chapin, and Kevin Brandow will gel with John Schlitt and Louie Weaver to produce the quality of music Petra fans have come to love during the past three decades (not just years).What these guys need to do is to rock. Fulfill your potential! Let go of the reigns that hold you down to the level of a pop outfit. Kick loose the straps that bind you and allow the aggressiveness of distorted guitars, the energy of thumping basses and drums, and the uninhibited sounds of imaginative keyboards return to the Petra sound. John Schlitt's voice can handle it. Shucks, he's been singing hard rock for what? ... 30 years?All sarcasm aside, "God Fixation" is a decent pop/rock album. The song writing is good although a little more attention to melody can be gained by the next new release. The lyrics, again, point to the Father and do a great justice to encourage us to relate with God. What we need are more straight-ahead rockers like "A Matter of Time", playful guitars ("St. Augustine's Pears"), and up-tempo energy ("God Fixation").Petra still ranks as a solidly popular rock-n-roll outfit. Parents, they are safe for your kids. In fact, I believe they still have a heart for youth which may explain some of their experimentation with styles recently. Unfortunately, Petra needs to get a little bit more aggressive because groups like Third Day, Audio Adrenaline, and P.O.D. (who are all good Christian bands too) are setting the style standards right now. By-the-way Petra, don't try rap-core!"

Pretty good, but I would have like a little more guitar

Jay Cavallaro | MA, USA | 07/28/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Yeah, better than Petra Praise 2 and Double Take, but not better than those older late 80's and early 90's albums. The songs on here were great though. I LOVEEEEEEEED "A Matter of Time" (which totally ROCKED! TURN UP YOUR SPEAKERS HERE). But I wish there were more hard rocking songs. But Petra is good, they can adapt to any kind of music and do a pretty good job at it. I did expect more, though. But one CLASSIC song on here (written all by Bob Hartman, of course) is "St. Augustine's Pears". Man that song starts off awesome and it's so cool. The last song was pretty good (Invitation). It's what you should expect from 1998 bands. Anyway, if you are one of those people that LOVE the rock they used to have, don't worry, they aren't done for yet. If you think DOUBLE TAKE was their last effort, just wait til what John Schlitt has promised to be the "ROCKER"! ....Which they are working on right now! I know you can't wait, this one is gonna bring them back,I tell ya!"

Is the Rock Gone?

Larry D Birks | USA | 12/07/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Quite frankly, when I first dropped the cd in my player and turned the volume up, I was wondering who kidnapped my favorite band? I've got all the Petra albums, and have been a huge fan since 1983. Yet here was something I wasn't ready for: Petra - Unplugged! But, I have my standards, and I gave it my usual 7 listens before passing judgement. The result? One of their best! Yeah it doesn't rock your brains out, but they've put out plenty in the last few years to do that. This album does something totally new: It grows on you! The more you listen, the more you can't stop relistening! If you like anything old or new of Petra (even going back to the early days) go buy this one! I predict it will become an underground classic."