AC/DC inspired Christian heavy metal band
that formed in the late 80's. They were signed to Pakaderm & A&M Records,
released two CDs, both produced by John & Dino Elefante, before disappearing
for several years, only to reappear as The Angry Einsteins. The band's
ring leader was guitarist Greg Bishop. In 2001 a disc of unreleased demo tracks
was also released in limited quantities on M8 records. As of 2005 X-Sinner were
back together and writing new music in the style of the first two. A re-recording
of "Peace Treaty" was released in '06 with the promise of all new
material in '07.
X-Sinner - Get It (Pakaderm) 1989
1. "Medicine"
(3:22)
2. "Steppin' on Toes" (3:28)
3. "Hearts on Fire" (4:13)
4. "No Way In" (3:43)
5. "Get It" (4:18)
6. "Accountable" (4:13)
7. "Walking Evil" (4:48)
8. "Lift Him Up" (3:13)
9. "Kick 'Em Out" (3:17)
10. "Livin' on the Edge" (4:07)
When this disc came out, X-Sinner were immediately labeled an AC/DC clone. While the similarities are there and the band obviously was inspired by their sound, they have just as much in common with the likes of Cinderella's "Night Songs" Krokus' "Headhunter" and Def Leppard's "High & Dry." The biggest similarity is in the vocals. Unlike most AC/DC inspired bands who seem to have a Bon Scott clone, Robbins goes for the more aggressive Brian Johnson sound. These guys actually put out some high caliber heavy metal with some very catchy vocal melodies and song structures. Had songs like "Livin' on the Edge" been on any Def Leppard album it would have been a huge hit. Too bad really but since X-Sinner were relegated to the underground due to their "white metal" label, success wasn't busting down their door. The whole album is actually quite enjoyable.
X-Sinner - Peace Treaty (Pakaderm) 1991
1. Peer Pressure"
(4:38)
2. "Rollin' Thunder" (4:32)
3. "We Need Love" (5:14)
4. "Getch Ya" (4:52)
5. "Hold On" (2:58)
6. "I Take Power" (4:36)
7. "Gotta Let Go" (4:04)
8. "You Got Me" (4:29)
9. "All I Need" (3:38)
10. "Don't Go" (5:25)
...and the AC/DC comparisons continue with the follow-up to "Get It." However, as with that disc, I think this disc sounds much closer to Def Leppard's "High N Dry" than it does to anything AC/DC. Perhaps new vocalist Rex Scott (ex-Zion) does have a resemblance to Brian Johnson, but otherwise this is just a straight forward heavy metal platter with some catchy anthems. Once again, the production is clean without losing it's edge, thanks to the Elefante brothers (Mastedon, Guardian, etc.). "Peace Treaty" is not quite as good as the band's debut, in my opinion, but it's still a classic. This disc has never been repressed and sells in the $20-$30 range on eBay.
X-Sinner - Loud & Proud (Magdalen/M8) 2001
1. "No Way Back"
(4:37)
2. "Eyes of Fire" (4:42)
3. "A Cut Above" (4:21)
4. "Medicine" (3:24)
5. "No Where to Run" (5:29)
6. "Turn It Up" (5:38)
7. "Got To Let Go" (4:17)
8. "X-Sinner" (4:14)
9. "Last Call" [instrumental] (3:07)
10. "Reap What You Sow" (4:20)
11. "Shame" (3:24)
12. "Last Call" (3:10)
Instead of re-releasing the two sole releases from X-Sinner, Magdalen released this disc of demos and unreleased tracks. Apparently the rights to "Peace Treaty" and "Get It" are owned by A&M Records and/or Pakaderm and they could not get permission, making the originals still a valuable auction on eBay and the like. However, the demo material on this disc is actually well produced and overall, this disc just sounds like another X-Sinner disc. Kudos! Most of the material (tracks 1-5) was recorded in 1988 with original vocalist Dave Robbins. Some (Tracks 9-12) features "Peace Treaty" era vocalist Rex Scott and were recorded in 1992, after "Peace Treaty" was released. Tracks 6-8 were demos for "Peace Treaty" while the band was apparently searching for a new vocalist. These tracks feature someone who is only listed as Paul. Some of these songs have different names than the ones that finally appeared on "Get It" or "Peace Treaty." For instance "Eyes of Fire" is the demo version of "Hearts of Fire." Overall, not a bad listen. I actually put off buying this M8 release after hearing the terrible Deliverance demo disc called 'Back in the Day.' The sound quality on this CD, while not being perfect, is not bad at all, sounding just slightly under a professional release.
X-Sinner - Fire It Up (Retroactive) 2006
1. "Fire It Up"
(3:17)
2. "I Take Power" (4:35)
3. "Gotta Let Go" (4:03)
4. "Rollin Thunder" (4:18)
5. "Getch Ya" (4:32)
6. "Don't Go" (5:22)
7. "Peer Pressure" (3:46)
8. "We Need Love" (5:03)
9. "All I Need" (3:44)
10. "You Got Me" (4:28)
After a long hiatus and a disappointing alternative rock album under the name Angry Einsteins, X-Sinner return with a new platter. Well, it's sort of new. What we have here is a re-recording of the band's "Peace Treaty". The ballad "Hold On" was left off and replaced with a new rocker titled "Fire It Up". One thing that always worries me when a band re-records an old classic album is if the vocals will be as good. Well, rest assured Rex's vocals sound as good as they ever did. The band sticks close to the original song structures, although they do change up some minor things here and there. Some songs have longer guitar solos or slightly different intros. However, for the most part, the band keeps sticks to the original feel of the songs. The one noticeable difference is that the overall sound is a bit thicker and heavier. I never really felt the original was that bad, but the band did. Also, the original was apparently the original recordings were tied up in so much label red tape that the band couldn't re-release the long out of print album without going to considerable expense. So, this is the result, a newly re-recorded album complete with a new song that give a peak into the bands future. Thankfully they are sticking with their classic metal sound. As in the past, the AC/DC comparisons are valid, but comparisons to Krokus and Def Leppard are just as valid. A new album is slated to be released in 2007 titled "Back in Red".
Related collections:
Zion