PETRA – This Means War! [25th Anniversary edition digitally remastered]

Two classic recordings by PETRA, one of Christian rock’s most awarded and influential bands throughout the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, were reissued some time ago by Star Song Music as special Anniversary Editions, fully digital remastered for the first time including bonus tracks.
Requested here on the blog, both truly deserve a place in your Melodic Hard / AOR collection.
Let’s go now with the terrific “This Means War!“.

In 1985 singer Greg X. Volz departed Petra and pursued a solo career. Petra, nevertheless, pressed on in hiring a new vocalist in John Schlitt.
Schlitt’s more powerful approach provided to the band an extra edge to their AOR sound, enhanced in this record by the glossy production of John & Dino Elefante.
Indeed, the Elefante bros. are in grand part responsible of “This Means War!” awesome second half of the ’80s US American Melodic Hard / AOR ‘huge’ sound.

“This Means War!” certainly puts the “rock” back in the band’s namesake, kicking off with the hard-hitting title track anthem. From there, the album continues delivering punchy rockers like ‘He Came, He Saw, He Conquered’, the FM Rock classic ‘Get On Your Knees And Fight Like A Man’ (with some Kansas on it), and the sharp Toto-like ‘The Water Is Alive’.

Pure US anthemic AOR is present on the the Journey flavored ‘Kenaniah’, and ‘You Are My Rock’ (in the vein of Canadians Triumph), both fantastic cuts to die for.
There’s a great melodic rocker in ‘Dead Reckoning’, while the midtempo closer ‘All The King’s Horses’ is another AOR little gem. Of course, there are the obligatory power ballads in the gentle ‘I Am Available’ and ‘Don’t Let Your Heart Be Hardened’.
But on “This Means War!” it’s the guitar-driven punchy AOR / melodic rock that is center stage, which is how I like my Petra.

Digitally remastered for the first time, Petra’s “This Means War! 25th Anniversary Edition” sounds terrific. An album that can’t remain absent in your ’80s US AOR / Melodic Rock collection.
A Must Have

You’ve seen it first here, at 0dayroxx

01 – This Means War!
02 – He Came, He Saw, He Conquered
03 – Get on Your Knees and Fight Like a Man
04 – I Am Available
05 – Kenaniah
06 – You Are My Rock
07 – The Water Is Alive
08 – Don’t Let Your Heart Be Hardened
09 – Dead Reckoning
10 – All the King’s Horses
BONUS TRACKS :
11 – Bob Hartman’s Solo (Live)
12 – John Lawry’s Solo (Live)
13 – Louie Weaver’s Solo (Live)

John Schlitt – Lead Vocals
Bob Hartman – Guitar
John Lawry – Keyboards, background vocals
Mark Kelly – Bass, background vocals
Louie Weaver – Drums

BUY IT !
www.amazon.com/This-Means-War-25th-Anniversary/dp/B0084O8O9S
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