Review: Seraiah – Carnival World / DEMOlish This!
This album was originally released in 1990 on Pure Metal records, and while I adored this album, I found quite a few friends who have had very different opinions. I guess it helped greatly that I had already been so enamored with their previously self-released 4-song tape Soldier of Jehovah, and we’ll talk more on that in a bit.
For Carnival World, a main complaint that gets most focused on is typically related to the mix and production value. Yes, it was engineered with typical 80s high-end tinniness, but for some, the production value was a real turn-off and so it received mixed reviews. Sadly, Christian labels tended to not have near enough money to invest in bands to get better output production wise. But for me, I just fell in love with the tunes in general. The full-on energy and hook laden songs kept me more than interested.
Well, thirty-six years later, if you were a prior naysayer, you would do well to consider checking out this new remixed and remastered rendition from Eonian Records. As one friend said, “This new version makes the original sound like a demo tape.” I agree! The remix makes this sound thunderously thick and powerful, bringing new life and energy to these songs. This release actually brought something to my attention that has made me reconsider my typical music set-up actually.
You see, I typically rip my CDs to an MP3 on my computer and crank it from there. When I did that, I did a quick A/B test between original 1990 release and this new mix, and found myself in favor of the original still. After all of the hype I heard about the new mix, I knew this couldn’t be right.
I took it on the next car ride and popped it into the player, and WOW! Later, I popped the CD itself into my regular stereo set up, and again, WOW! Then I pulled out the vinyl edition, and again, WOW! So, yeah, I definitely need some new speakers or something on my computer.
I will admit, the opening guitar riff of the track “Carnival World” has an overly compressed sounding tone, and so I find that opening to still feel thin and weak, but once you get past that, the power in the world of this carnival changes for sure. To me, this album should have put this band right up there in the same breath as melodic metal contemporaries Holy Soldier, Guardian, Bride, etc.. “Devastating Daydream” and “Rise Up” have the intensity to put them on par with most any band of this era, while “No More Tears to Cry” and “Let Him Take Control” show the softer power-ballad intensity masterfully done.
The CD comes with six bonus live tracks, receiving an expansive archival presentation featuring stunning new artwork (yeah, the original cover was quite cheesy), a massive, deluxe 36-page booklet containing so many great images from the period, and an extensive write-up on the band’s history. And for us fans of the big spinning things, there is the aforementioned vinyl edition released on collectible Blood Moon Red vinyl and housed in a deluxe gatefold jacket.
Track listing:
1. Carnival World
2. Devastating Daydream
3. Hear Their Cry
4. The Nature Of Things
5. No More Tears To Cry
6. Rise Up
7. You Know
8. Helpless Without You
9. Let Him Take Control
10. Fallen Heart
11. New Kind Of Voodoo | Quinton Solo (LIVE)
12. When It Rains (LIVE)
13. Whatever Happened To Your Love (LIVE)
14. Let Him Take Control (LIVE)
15. Song And Dance (LIVE)
16. Fever (LIVE)
The icing on the cake (for me at least) is that, in conjunction with this reissue, the label also released a CD called DEMOlish This!. This release contains that original 4-song Soldier of Jehovah tape mentioned, plus six other recordings from that time frame with the original singer.
In the day, I was only aware of five songs; the four from the tape (recorded in Jan 1988) and the song “C’mon Get Up” (one of two songs recorded in May 1988) that appeared on the White Metal Invasion compilation tape.
On this release we get all of those remastered, as well as four additional songs recorded earlier in 1987. I was so impressed with these early self-released tracks, that the first dog my wife and I had after getting married, she was named Seraiah. True Story.
Track listing:
1. Rock Without Sin
2. Known In Hell
3. Never Have To Say Goodbye Again
4. The Light
5. C’mon Get Up!
6. Why?
7. Foxy On The Inside
8. Whatever Happened To Your Love
9. Won’t You Look
10. Always With Me
Get it all from Eonian Records – https://www.eonianrecords.com/index#/seraiah/
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