Levitcus is the brainchild of Swedish born Bjorn Stigsson. They are one of the earliest Christian metal bands and released a total of four albums. Bjorn has also released a few solo albums and has recorded with XT.
Levitcus is the
brainchild of Swedish born Bjorn Stigsson. They are one of the earliest Christian
metal bands and released a total of four albums. Bjorn has also released a few
solo albums and has recorded with XT.
Leviticus - I Shall Conquer (Shadow) 1984
Still have the original vinyl version of this album. This music just sounds very, very dated and the vocals are almost unbearable so I really don't listen to it any longer. I much prefer "Setting Fire to the Earth." However, this has to be one of the earliest Christian metal albums to be released, and is therefor an important part of Chrisitian metal history. "I Shall Conquer" was re-released on CD by M8 Records in 2001.
Leviticus - Setting Fire to the Earth (Pure Metal) 1987
1. "Flames of Fire"
(3:18)
2. "Saved" (4:07)
3. "The First & the Last" (3:39)
4. "I'm A Believer" (3:56)
5. "Don't Go Out" (3:33)
6. "Elijah on Carmel" (3:50)
7. "The Suffering Servant" (4:49)
8. "Get Up" (3:37)
9. "Love is Love" (4:01)
Of the four Leviticus disc, this is the only one I like, and is also the most rare in cd form. The music is melodic and hooky, but what really makes this disc is the vocals of Terry H, who along with bassist Ez Gomez would go on to form Jet Circus. "Setting Fire" was Leviticus' third release.
Leviticus - Knights of Heaven (Royal Music/Refuge) 1989
1. "Born Again"
(3:40)
2. "The World Goes Round" (4:19)
3. "Isn't It Love" (4:36)
4. "Oh, Lord" (4:53)
5. "Feels So Good" (2:2)5
6. "Strong Love" (3:39)
7. "Messiah" (3:58)
8. "Over the Hills" (3:57)
9. "For Once in My Life" (4:09)
10. "Love On Fire" (3:42)
"Knights of Heaven" saw Leviticus move even further into the melodic, commercial style of metal that was hinted at on "Setting Fire to the Earth". Frankly, for them, it was good move. This is without a doubt their most solid album. Everything was improved about the band, from the production, to the vocals, to the songwriting. Much of this is compliments of the Elefante brothers (Guardian, X-Sinner, Petra), who have a knack for writing and producing solid, radio-ready rock. I suppose for those who prefered the band's earlier attempts at straight forward heavy metal, this album is a bit of a let down. To be quit frank, however, I found early albums like "I Shall Conquer" to be ultra-cheesy and just downright bad. That is not to say that this CD doesn't contain some elements of cheese. After all, it was the 80's! Check out the song "Feel So Good" and it's "OOOEE, OOEEE" chorus. However, cheese in small doses is actually enjoyable as it is here. Bjorn Stigsson is forever the most underrated guitarist ever, as is proven here by some of his outstanding leads. Most of the lead work here isn't overly flashy, but the man knows how to write a lead that really compliments the songs. Songs like "Messiah" are complimented nicely by the melodic lead work. Standout cuts are "Born Again", "Strong Love", "Over The Hills", "Messiah" and "Isn't It Love."
Also on vinyl:
Bjorn Stigsson
& Friends - Together With Friends (Pure Metal)