Search - Whiteheart :: Inside

Whiteheart's hardest ablum to date

Brent A. Mikel | Maysville, GA | 12/30/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Starting with "Freedom" in 1989, Whiteheart began sowing its hard rock oats. "Powerhouse", "Tales of Wonder", and "Highlands" all featured heavier cuts, but "Inside" demonstrated an edge unsurpassed by any previous or following Whiteheart CD's. Unfortunately, it was not well received by the critics who felt the band had taken a couple of steps backward. The band itself, with the exception of co-founding member Billy Smiley, did not feel too optimistic about "Inside" either. All of this cynicism is sad because this CD actually turned out to be a good one.Sounding vaguely like 70's metal (Deep Purple, Aerosmith, etc.), "Inside" erupts with the title track and rocks right into "You Can't Take What You Don't Have" before mellowing out with "It Could Have Been You" (the first of two acoustic songs). "Come One Come All" has an interesting pop flavor too it, but "Ritual", "Living Sacrifice", and "Dominate" return us back to the rock. "Even the Hardest Heart" is a really nice acoustic-based song that sounds like a sing-a-long around the campfire kind of tune. "Speak Softy" is an anguishing prayer with Mark Gersmehl singing the lead. The haunting "Find A Way" finishes the album.By far this is the darkest of Whiteheart efforts, but it is not hopeless. Whenever introspection occurs, it often reveals the darkness inside us all and how badly we need Light.More aggressive guitar work and a greater attention to the rhythm section stand out in the recording. The vocals almost disappear at times beneath the crush of the rock, but this CD really sounds good a high volumes. The title cut and "Even the Hardest Heart" are two of the best Whiteheart songs ever."

This could be a 5 star CD if they'd remaster it!

Mark A. Merritt | 05/14/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Whoever was responsible for the sound production engineering on this album.... got it half-right. For some reason, there are about 4 songs that are potentially great songs, but they are difficult to listen to if you care about sound production technique. In that sense I was disappointed in the final end product, because they are GOOD songs! If you are like me in this regard, check out 'Redemption' - they fixed the problem in 1997."