HOUSE OF LORDS
World Upside Down
Frontiers Records 2006
www.jameschristianmusic.com

What’s the 4-1-1?
House of Lords are back with 3 brand new members for a fifth studio album full of the trademark pomp and circumstance of their early days. The album is being marketed as an extension of the Demons Down album.

Genre
Hard rock / melodic rock / rock

The Good
I’m happy to report that the while House of Lords retains some of that so called grandiose sound from their past work, the new lineup has really enlivened the whole musical affair. The music is far less slick in the production sound. It focuses more on giving the listener a rock and roll vibe. The guitar work from Jimi Bell is excellent. In taking my notes while prepping to write this review I noted some great guitar solos and riffs from him in almost every song. James Christian’s voice sounds a lot rougher than earlier HOL releases and I for one think it fits the music far better. It’s a ballsier sound and I for one think it’s just fantastic. I kid you not when I tell you that just about every song on this album is top notch. I really liked all but one. The ones that stand out most are “SOS”, “My Generation,” and my two personal favorites “I’m Free” and “Rock Bottom.”

The Bad
The ballad “All The Pieces Falling” has a nice acoustic guitar sound, but I didn’t end up really liking the song overall. It was flat in my opinion. I’ll admit that this is just a pet peeve of my own that most people won’t even care about but it was something that bugged me. The stuff I said above in the good section of this review is all great, but when you put a credit for Greg Giuffria on the album notes is it necessary to come off as needing a slap in the face to get you back to reality? The liner notes read: Greg Giuffria – Featuring the Keyboard productions of Gregg Giuffria. I know the band has a certain expectation of being pompous in some areas, but this is just beyond the pale for me. I don’t know who is responsible for the wording in that sentence on the album liner notes, but if you want to have someone come off sounding like a real pompous jerk, that’s a prime example.

The Verdict
World Upside Down is an excellent album. The sentence is the brief summary of what I think of this CD. The slightly longer explanation is that James Christian and crew have fashioned such a great collection of songs that my interest in the band has been completely renewed. I started off liking the band’s first two albums, even seeing them open for Nelson of all bands. I sort of lost interest and never checked out the previous two studio albums. Now, with a more focused effort on rock and not pomp, it’s safe to say that I like the band’s past, love their present, and can’t wait to see their future. I’d venture to guess you’ll be reading about this album again when it comes time for the 2006 Top Ten lists.

Did You Know?
Former House of Lords drummer Ken Mary was also a member of the Seattle area metal band Fifth Angel. Kiss bassist Gene Simmons was the first to sign the band on his own Simmons Records label. Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen provided some guitar work to the band’s Sahara album. Singer James Christian is married to singer Robin Beck, who released the excellent Do You Miss Me album in 2005.

Rating: out of 5

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-- Jay Roberts