BARREN CROSS – Atomic Arena [Digitally Remastered 2020] *EXCLUSIVE*

Limited to 1000 units, here’s in exclusive the fresh, first time remastered version of US rockers BARREN CROSS 1988’s album “Atomic Arena“.
By the time ”Atomic Arena” was released, the hard rock audience had already been whipped into a feeding frenzy with the song ‘Deadlock’ being included on the massively popular California Metal Compilation.
Fans were demanding more, and it’s hard to believe Barren Cross could have delivered a more perfect album than ”Atomic Arena”. Most noticeably, mature songwriting with topics presented in a skilled manner.
Produced by John & Dino Elefante with a pristine sound and signed to Enigma Records, Barren Cross were label-mates with Ratt, Poison & Stryper and MTV’s embrace of the album’s opener, ‘Imaginary Music’, showed that’s exactly where they belonged.

Mike Lee’s charismatic lead vocal style was perfect for an album that featured dominating fast-fingered shredding guitar work, resounding monster bass lines, and drums that pummeled the heart and soul of the most dedicated metal fan.
Yes, ”Atomic Arena” was special and that’s why the album was voted #11 on Heaven’s Metal Magazine’s Top 100 Christian Metal Albums of All-Time.

While Barren Cross was part of the US CCM metal wave of the ’80s lead by Stryper, the lyric content was pretty focused to a wider listener spectre, including secular mainstream rock.
With ”Atomic Arena” they made an album worthy of worldwide recognition due to the crunch guitar tone, the soaring vocals and the great use of John Elefante’s keyboards providing melody.

The highlights are obviously ‘Imaginary Music’ which got a video and a lot of airplay on MTV and ‘Living Dead’ with its exquisite guitar riffing and double bass rhythm parts. There is only one ballad in ‘Heaven or Nothing’ and it is very good actually.
The uptempo rocker ‘Cultic Regimes’ brings to minf ‘The Way’ from Stryper but a little faster.

A remarkable effort from one of the most underrated metal / hard rock bands from the ’80s that deserves a place among the best from the American scene at the time.
While the “white metal” tag is the kiss of death for some people, the fact remains, this is a helluva rocking album and worth a look by anyone who likes effective, catchy and classy ’80s stuff.
Highly Recommended

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01 – Imaginary Music
02 – Killers of the Unborn
03 – In the Eye of the Fire
04 – Terrorist Child
05 – Close to the Edge
06 – Deadlock
07 – Cultic Regimes
08 – Heaven or Nothing
09 – King of Kings
10 – Living Dead

Mike Lee – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
Ray Parris – guitar, background vocals
Steve Whitaker – drums, background vocals
Jim LaVerde – bass, taurus synth pedals, background vocals
additional musicians:
Dino Elefante – background vocals
John Elefante – keyboards, additional vocals

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www.amazon.com/Atomic-Arena-Legends-Remastered-Barren/dp/B086DJG4YS