South Africa. Where did they get all this talent? First, we get
Tree63 shipped to the US all the way from the other side of the
world, and now The Benjamin Gate. Their distorted rock is ripping up
the charts and getting the fans all excited. So, check them out!

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UNTITLED - THE BENJAMIN GATE (2001)
by Josh M. Shepherd

"Of Benjamin he [Moses] said: 'The beloved of the Lord shall... dwell
between His shoulders,'" reads Deuteronomy 33:12. Final words from an
Old Testament patriarch are an odd source for understanding a 21st
century rock band. But Moses's words speak all too directly of South
Africa-born The Benjamin Gate, who cling to their Father's knees like
children, always wanting to be held. Not to dismiss the "attitude"
present here. Singer Adrienne Liesching gives sassy disposal to
lyrics, backed by ultra-abstract (read: sonic contortion) guitarists
Chris Poisat and Mac Pautz, and rigid rhythms via Costa Balamatsias
(bass) and Brett Palmer (drums). A metaphor for Jesus using half-
finished vessels, The Benjamin Gate's musical indefinition is what
lets God's glory and creative spark shine through.

Smartly christened Untitled, the debut CD employs "How Long" as its
opening prayer, introducing listeners to this spaced-out universe
created by new technology and old things like melody and inspiration.
Spiritual yearning is given a combative edge on "Scream,"
transmitting the knowledge that only drowning one's self brings
fulfillment. A single with a vibrant life on radio charts, "All Over
Me" swims in the perpetual tide of God's love without neglecting the
Savior torn that humanity might receive love. The "Heaven" chorus
gives pleasant resolve to disconcerted verses (much like dance-driven
track six "Nightglow"), dwelling on weakness and pitch cold nights
before turning those images inside out as vision within blindness.

If one ever doubted that Untitled was a learning experience, the
record's latter half becomes a crash course in all styles modern.
Police sirens, a vacuum cleaner, and tunnel echoes are emulated
in "Lay It Down," a portrait of surrender as poetry. "Blow My Mind"
is exactly what The Benjamin Gate's full-on assault did to me,
featuring wild drumming and Adrian's plentiful voice. Even pop has a
place in this conglomeration, though not without a twist or two. This
refers to Untitled's choicest track, "Halo," a song of contentment
("Your heart it is enough"), prodigal leanings ("How far I stray"),
and worship ("Your love is my halo"). Enough cannot be said about
this cut, coming complete with layered harmonies ala Avalon though
still reliant on the musicians' pushy sensibilities.

"Rush" and "Secret" use similar bells and whistles, guided around
mental sickness and cold isolation by some divine detours (at one
dramatic point, "Rush" quotes Psalm 1 word for word). By the
time "Hands" rolls around, listeners are accustomed to song lyrics
that have a magnificent redundancy, spelling out grace, freedom, and
rescue by the Spirit in no uncertain terms. What would surprise is a
modest, calm melody, which the female vocalist presents here with
expressive humility. "I am a witness ~ I'm at the scene of this,"
broadcasts "Live Out Loud," an appreciation of time spent walking out
an audio/visual faith; a hidden track (no. 77!) lets loose any
remaining stamina, shocked at the "True" honor it is just to love the
Creator.

"...Benjamin shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the
day long," concludes the aforementioned verse. A noise level that
won't quit is the only complaint on Untitled, which finds much to
savor under God's covering. Were there more Benjamin Gates to be
entered, electronic rock would surely be the future.

Find out more about The Benjamin Gate on cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/rock/thebenjamingate


AVAILABLE TUESDAY, AUGUST 21 (at cMusicWeb.com or at your local store)

HAVE I EVER TOLD YOU - FFH
So, they can sing about a "Big Fish". They can kinda worship.
They're just acoustic. They're overplayed on EVERY AC and CHR
station. Great. Exciting.

We definitely hope you'll wait for the many great releases coming
next week from new Brit-rock Steve to Kevin Max of dc Talk to a new
sound for Out of the Grey and then to the hard-hitting rock of
Skillet's Alien Youth.


THE LATEST NEWS HEADLINES
• P.O.D. Gearing Up for Album Release
• And much more!

View all the latest stories on cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/


AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER (on cMusicWeb.com)

ROCK: http://cMusicWeb.com/rock
Alien Youth - Skillet [8/28]
The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek - Relient K [8/28]
Falling Down - Steve [8/28]
Satellite - P.O.D. [9/11]

ALTERNATIVE: http://cMusicWeb.com/alternative
Stereotype Be - Kevin Max [8/28]
Real Men Cry - Lost Dogs [9/25]

POP: http://cMusicWeb.com/pop
Have I Ever Told You - FFH [8/21]
6.1 - Out of the Grey [8/28]
Infectious - Go Fish [8/28]
Prayer of Jabez EP - Various [8/28]
Talk About It - Nicole C. Mullen [8/28]
Without You - Phat Chance [8/28]
Greatest Hits - Twila Paris [9/11]
Past the Wishing - Sara Groves [9/18]
Declaration - Steven Curtis Chapman [9/25]
Dream - Michelle Tumes [9/25]

Click on the album titles on the genre page to order them and recieve
them on the release date.


Thanks for reading along with us this week, and just look at the
things ahead! First of all, there's tons of new albums coming up.
Plus, to go with all the new music, we have the new look of
cMusicWeb.com coming soon, so get ready! Thanks for reading this
week's cMusicMail, and we'll be back next week with even more great
content. If you have any comments or questions, please reply to this
e-mail or send them to webmaster@... We'd love to hear
from you!

Dan Ficker
http://cMusicWeb.com/
a different approach to music
ICQ - 43224317 AOL IM - dMusicWeb