FAITHEALER – Welcome To The Edge Of The World [out of print] *HQ*

With yesterday’s BALANCE OF POWER, one of you asked for this criminally forgotten band / album featuring renowned members from the British hard rock / metal scene.
Heralding the long overdue return of ivory tickler / composer Ivan Gunn (ex BALANCE OF POWER / PRIDE), FAITHEALER sees him team up with former FOREVER / S.I.N. vocalist Jason Marks – perhaps not the most high profile collaboration dallying for your affections this month, but I’ll tell you what, I’m guessing that most melodic hard rock fans will be pleasantly surprised when they finally get to hear the finished results!
Aided and abetted by a small but highly talented cast which includes Gunn’s ex PRIDE colleagues Matt Mitchell and Chris Green, WALK THE SKY’s Rick Hunter-Martinez, and one time BALANCE OF POWER man Paul Curtis, FAITHEALER debut album “Welcome To The Edge Of The World” proves to be a textbook example of what can be achieved with a small budget and even less outside support if you put your mind to it.

Of course it helps if you have the songs to back up all the inevitable pre-release hype, but on that score Gunn has always had a far keener ear for great melodies than most.
“Welcome To The Edge Of The World” only was released in Japan, but this is one of the CD copies the band sold by themselves.
Leaning more towards the bombastic melodic rock of the BALANCE OF POWER debut ‘When The World Falls Down’ than the svelte AOR of PRIDE (although on some of the album’s gentler moments there are definite echos of the latter), with a healthy dash of Pomp thrown in for good measure (the soaring ‘Just Give Me Tonight’ has a real RED DAWN feel at times for example), “Welcome To The Edge Of The World” has a wonderfully upbeat vibe permeating throughout.

From emotion laden ballads such as the smoldering ‘Lay Down And Die For You’, or the fabulous duet ‘Heaven From Here’, through low slung mid-paced numbers like ‘Second Sight’ or ‘Who Will Stop The Rain’, to blood pumping anthems akin to the aforementioned ‘Just Give Me Tonight’, what really stands out for me is the indisputable fact that the melodies have the kind of depth, clarity and (most importantly) longevity that most similar bands can only dream of.

BALANCE OF POWER and PRIDE were two superb bands that should have hit headier heights than they did, and FAITHEALER is here to follow their roots.
“Welcome To The Edge Of The World” is like a ‘new’ PRIDE album, as most of the musicians involved are ex PRIDE members, but brings to mind BALANCE OF POWER first record too, and all that well-crafted British melodic hard rock.
Well constructed, intelligently arranged songs filled with glorious hooks will always shine through at the end of the day, and that’s exactly what this album delivers.
Highly Recommended

01. The beginning of the end
02. Who will stop the rain
03. Stronger
04. Just give me tonight
05. Lay down and die for you
06. Last tear drop falls
07. Tell me
08. They say
09. Heaven from here
10. Second sight
11. Still alive
12. Welcome to the edge of the world
13. The end of the beginning
BONUS TRACK:
14. Last tear drop falls (acoustic version)

Jason Marks (FOREVER / S.I.N.) – Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Drums
Ivan Gunn (ex BALANCE OF POWER / PRIDE) – Keyboards, Vocals
Chris Green (ex PRIDE) – Guitar
Matt Mitchell (ex PRIDE) – Backing Vocals
Paul Curtis (ex Balance Of Power) – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Rick Hunter-Martinez (Walk The Sky) – Backing Vocals

Sold Out