Joshua and M Pire are both melodic metal bands lead by guitar shredder Joshua Perahia.

Joshua - The Hand Is Quicker than the Eye (Olympic) 1982

SIDE ONE
1. "Falling Again" (4:14)
2. "November is Going Away" (4:51)
3. "Sweet Lil' Hurricane" (3:08)
SIDE TWO
4. "Let's Breakaway" (4:46)
5. "Broken Dream" (2:59)
6. "Flying High" (4:11)

"The Hand is Quicker than the Eye" was Joshua's debut to the world. By 1982 Joshua had already established themselves as a successful club act on the Hollywood set, selling out clubs with bands like Great White and Ratt opening for them. The original six song EP revealed a shredder guitar player. However, Joshua's debut wasn't really a heavy metal record. "The Hander is Quicker than the Eye" was six songs of melodic, radio-friendly, hard rock. Vocalist Stephen Fontaine had a smooth, clean voice that reminds me slightly of Glenn Hughes. Fontaine later went on to work with Uriah Heep. Opening track "Falling Again" is a poppy melodic hard rock number that really doesn't display much of Joshua's axe work. With the next track, "November is Going Away" we are treated to a few seconds of Perahia's quick fingers before the song breaks into a melodic, bluesy, semi- ballad. "November is Going Away" was chosen as the single for this album and became a number one hit in Japan. It was this song that had Burrn! Magazine declaring Joshua to be "The World's Fastest Guitarist." "Sweet Lil Hurricane" could have easily been a big radio hit. This upbeat rocker has a 70's vibe complete with an organ solo, smokin' guitar solo and a killer hook. Unfortunately the planets weren't aligned and the song and album went unnoticed. Side two sported "Let's Breakaway", another melodic hard rocker sporting some crunchy guitar work that is masked slightly by the keyboards. "Broken Dream" is a slightly harder rocking track that opens with some choice chops only to again break into a radio friendly pop-metal number. Much like "Sweet Lil' Hurricane", this song sports a great hook and a heavy guitar tone that again is masked by those pesky keys. "Flying High" takes the band back to that 70's AOR sound, complete with a Hammond keyboard sound and some funky bass playing. I personally think that the song writing on "The Hand is Quicker than the Eye" were a step ahead of the times. My only complaint is that I think the overall sound of the album could have been more guitar driven and less saturated with keyboards. Regardless, "The Hand Is Quicker than the Eye" marks the debut of one of the world's best unknown shredders.

The CD versions of "The Hander is Quicker than the Eye" have two songs not on the original vinyl release including the ballad "A Song for Lisa" and melodic rocker "Portrait of a Woman". In 2001 "The Hand..." was re-released on CD by M&K Sound with an "improved" sound, probably due to new mastering. The cover art was altered slightly as well. While the illustration remained the same, the Joshua logo was removed and replaced by Joshua Perahia centered at the top of the art.

Joshua - Surrender (FM Revolver)

"Surrender" was Joshua's follow-up to the 1983 EP "The Hand is Quicker than the Eye". The album featured the line-up of vocalist Jeff Fenholt, guitarist Joshua Perahia, guitarist/vocalist Ken Tamplin, keyboardist Patrick Bradley, bassist Loren Robinson and drummer Jo Galletta. The record was originally released in 1985 on Polydor Records. The album was also released on FM Revolver in the UK (pictured above). In 1992 the album was finally issued on CD with new cover art (pictured above). However, the CD is actually a completely different recording from the original vinyl version. Before re-releasing the album, everything was re-recorded with the exception of Jeff Fenholt's vocals. Additional guitar solos were added and some solos changed. The CD reissue also featured the additional track "Show Me the Way" with Robyn Kyle Basauri (ex-Die Happy, Red Sea) on vocals. Robyn's vocals were also added to "Loveshock", replacing Ken Tamplin. Since that time several other CD re-issues have been released on various labels, but only the original vinyl release contains the original recording and mix. The re-recorded album was released on the band's own M&K Sound in 2001, again with new artwork under the name Joshua Perahia. It was released once again in 2008, again with new artwork and under the full Joshua Perahia name.

"Surrender" is an excellent, melodic hard rock album. Joshua was often billed as one of the fastest guitarists. (Burn! Magazine once declared him the "world’s fastest guitarist") Unlike guys releases from Yngwie Malmsteen and Impelliterri however, Perahia's "Surrender" isn't really a showcase of his guitar skills. The song writing here is more radio friendly, complete with those big 80's pop metal hooks. Joshua still lets loose with plenty of fast guitar solos, but these are not the focus of the songs.

Vocalist Jeff Fenholt has a smooth voice with plenty of range. He sings with a lot of passion and soul, reminding me of guys like David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes. However, he also hits those glass shattering highs that were a pre-requisite for a good 80's metal band. Fenholt is well known in metal circles for his brief involvement with Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), singing on some demos for his "Seventh Star" album. Ken Tamplin sings some backup vocals on the original version of "Surrender". Ken is a fantastic vocalist himself and probably could have done and equally good job on lead vocals. Ken along with keyboardist Loren Robinson and drummer Jo Galletta eventually went on to form Shout.

The title cut and album opener "Surrender" could have easily been a bit hit had the band had the right marketing and label push. Unfortunately "Surrender" didn't do well nationally, although it Joshua became quite popular in Japan. "Heart Full of Soul" is a Yardbirds cover, that was also covered by Dokken on their 2002 CD "Long Way Home". "Hold In" is an up-tempo rocker that displays some of Perahia's chops. The opening moments of the song showcases some fast licks before breaking into a melodic metal number. "Hold On" also features a jaw-dropping guitar solo break in the middle of the song. "Love Shock" is another up-tempo number featuring the soaring, powerhouse vocals of Robyn Kyle Basauri. The original version of "Love Shock" featured Ken Tamplin and Fenholt on lead vocals. I'm not sure why Joshua felt the need to replace the vocals for subsequent reissues as the original version of the song is quite good as well. Basauri also sings on the the bluesy "Show Me the Way", a song that was actually recorded for Perahia's post "Intense Defense" band Jaguar. The album finishes off with a short outro from the song "Rockin' the World".

I actually owned three different versions of this album. I know own the FM Revolver LP with the black and white photo of the band and the 1992 Ocean Records CD reissue and the "Double Trouble" gold-disc version (see below).

I asked Joshua about the re-recording and when exactly it took place. He confirmed the facts I spelled out above. This was his reply:

Hi Scott,
I do remember you brother. I hope you are blessed. Yes, in 1992, Freddie Piro, the producer of many fine bands and owner of Ocean Studios contacted me, and made an offer I couldn't refuse. He loved the album "Surrender", and wanted to release it on WORD records. He got a very good budget offer from WORD records, and asked if I would like to come to his studio, and re record many parts of the album, to update it. This was more than a great idea because the money they were offering would totally improve the album that was initially recorded at a very low budget. I wanted to have the vocals removed from the 1985 version of LOVESHOCK, because Jeff Fenholt did not sing that one song, and it needed a much more professional vocalist to bring it up to Jeff Fenholt's incredible vocal power. Jeff was not able to sing that song because he was tied up with Tony Iommi's new album. That album became another Black Sabbath album called Seventh Star. Vocalist Robin Basauri came to the studio to sing it, and sing a bonus track called "Show Me The Way to Your Heart. I also came in with 15 other singers for background vocals. Many of these singers were from churches in the area, and old friends. As for lead guitars, I did change and add some solo's, because of the extra time factor to work peacefully in a great environment. The studio is state of the art, with a large room for big amplifier rigs like mine. I added more "hammer on riffs" in songs like "Back to the Rock". I added a solo at the beginning of "Rockin' The World". I also added a new main solo to that song that meets up with the break down in the middle of the song when Jeff Fenholt rips his awesome style, "I hear a Light in the Distance". Throughout the album I added faster and slower solo's because of the great opportunity to bring some live feels we had played on stages around the world. I really wanted to fatten up the rhythm guitars also, so I did. There were a few places throughout the album that needed some different bass guitar parts to match new drum parts, so I played the bass there too. Drums were added by a great friend of mine Joey Tafoya. He is blessed at double kick drum style. There was just a little of everything added and a better mix, that completely changed "Surrender" for me. I never liked the Simmons electronic drums that were put on the original album. It was a pleasure to remove them all. The only tracks that remain to this day are the lead vocal tracks of Jeff Fenholt. That is why Jeff and I are working together on the newest "JOSHUA" album called "Resurrection". Thank you for the interest in that album, as I praise God for its continued success. With its new re issue, many new countries have purchased this CD in huge quantities.

You take care Scott, and feel free to contact me anytime.

God Bless You,
Joshua Perahia

Joshua - Double Trouble: The Hand is Quicker than the Eye/Surrender (Long Island)

The Hand is Quicker than the Eye 1983
1. "Falling Again" (4:19)
2. "November is Going Away" (4:57)
3. "Sweet Lilí Hurricane" (3:11)
4. "A Song For Lisa" (4:20)
5. "Let's Break Away" (4:47)
6. "Broken Dream" (3:01)
7. "Flying High" (4:17)
8. "Portrait of a Woman" (4:24)
Surrender 1986
9. "Surrender Love" (4:29)
10. "Heart full of Soul" (4:32)
11. "Your Love is Gone" (4:17)
12. "Stay Alive (Go On Believing)" (4:43)
13. "Rockin' the World" (4:45)
14. "Back to Back" (3:37)
15. "Hold" (4:09)
16. "Show Me the Way" (4:25)
17. "Loveshock" (5:07)
18. "Rockin' the World (Reprise)" (:47)

This German import is KILLER. Joshua's discs are hard to come by but one day I was checking out stuff in a cd store and found four of these for $2 each. Man, the original price sticker was $25. I bought all four copies and made a killing on the other three with internet trades. Apparently Joshua discs are in high demand. Unfortunately I did not know that when I sold my Ocean Records version of "Surrender" and the German RCA version of "Intense Defense" for $15 each. I have seen "Intense Defense" go for no less than $100 on eBay, Ouch! Someone made off with a good deal from me. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

In any case, Joshua is melodic metal lead by guitar shredder Joshua Perahia, who is the only constant member. Joshua has three excellent lead singers on this disc: Robin Klye (ex-Die Happy, Red Sea), Stephan Fontaine, and Jeff Fenholt, who sang with Black Sabbath for a short spell before becoming a TBN TV preacher. This disc is a nice package as it contains two albums ("The Hand is Quicker than the Eye" & "Surrender") on one gold disc, an extensive booklet with all the original liner notes, photos, and lyrics, and a poster. The entire package is wrapped up in a jewel case that has been gold foil embossed and a nice slipcase. The disc is also a numbered limited edition. Mine is 1872 of 2000. "Heart Full of Soul" is a Yardbirds cover.

Well, I finally had the opportunity to see Joshua perform at the 2001 Stryper Expo. Being that I had passes I met Joshua Perahia early before the mob scene and had him sign my cd. He and his band were so blown away that I had this cd. Apparently even they don't have copies and only have it listed on their web site. Anyhow, both these albums have been re-released in the U.S. so they are much easier to get now, but this particular gold disc version is still very rare.

Joshua - Intense Defense (Night & Day) 1988

1. "Reach Up" (4:43)
2. "I've Been Waiting" (4:27)
3. "Only Yesterday" (3:38)
4. "Crying Out For Love" (4:16)
5. "Living On The Edge" (4:10)
6. "Tearing At My Heart" (3:47)
7. "Remembering You" (5:06)
8. "Look To The Sky" (4:21)
9. "Don't You Know" (4:09)
10. "Stand Alone" (5:02)

Arguably Joshua's best disc, although some would say that honor goes to "Surrender." "Intense Defense" features the extraordinary vocals of one of my favorite singers, Rob Rock. Anything the man has put his name on has been awesome. "Intense Defense" is no exception. Each and every song is captivating, melodic and well played. Of course Joshua Perahia's guitar solos are fantastic as well, but what really makes this disc stand out above the others, in my opinion, are the vocals and the vocal melodies. Rob is without a doubt the king of melodic metal! Unfortunately this disc was only released in Europe and Japan. In Japan the album yielded several hit singles, including the power ballad "Remembering You", which Joshua Perahia would rerecord on his 2001 release. "Stand Alone" is another stand out cut. Perhaps it's because it is the last song on the CD, but whenever I listenn to this disc, I always have that song stuck in my head for a long time afterwards. This album was produced by Eddie Kramer, who has produced for Kiss, Led Zeppelin, and Jimi Hendrix, along with Dieter Dierks, who has produced albums for bands like Accept, Scorpions and Twisted Sister.

I could have kicked myself for selling off my original RCA version years ago. Although I liked it back then, at the time I was so caught up in the heavier thrash and death metal scene that this disc was just collecting dust. Had I known how rare this disc would become, I never would have parted with it. Joshua Perahia obtained the rights to all his other albums except this one, so a re-issue did not happened as it did for all the other Joshua CDs in 2001. Finally in 2003 Night & Day Records in Germany re-release this disc. Comparing it to my CDR copy the mastering is very similar, but the new re-release sounds just a tad bit bassier, whereas the CDR is slightly brighter. Not a big deal at all. I am just glad to finally get a real copy of this classic.

M Pire - Chapter One (Long Island) 1995

1. "Concrete Jungle" (4:29)
2. "You Want It All" (5:10)
3. "Steady Weapon" (5:31)
4. "One Night Is Not Enough" (4:23)
5. "Long Way to Heaven" (5:24)
6. "Dark Days" (4:47)
7. "It Must Be Love" (4:51)
8. "Tears of Joy" (5:47)
9. "Bad Man" (4:49)
10. "Walk Into the Light" (3:52)
11. "Devil's River" (5:32)
12. "Right on Target" (4:39)

For all intensive purposes, this is Joshua with a new name. Why Joshua Perahia decided to change the name of the band I do not know. In any case, the music follows suite in similar fashion-80's melodic metal with tons of shredding solos and smooth, clean vocals. Available as a German or Japanese import only.

On May 20 I had the extreme pleasure of seeing Joshua perform at the Stryper Expo in Azusa, California. At the band's merchandise table they had copies of all Joshua's cd's (except the coveted "Intense Defense.") In anycase, they had the "Chapter One" album as well, but the name of the band was changed to JOSHUA Perahia. The Joshua was in large letters with his last name in smaller letters. This was true of all three of the discs that they had available and the new disc as well. On day two of the festival, the band had at their table 75 pre-release copies of their new album but I didn't buy one as I had already spent more money than I wanted and still needed gas to get home. Darn, and it was a numbered limited edition picture disc. Anyhow, I had the band autograph my M Pire disc and my Double Trouble disc. The band seemed quite surprised that I had these. Apparently most of the band members had not even seen a copy of the "Double Trouble" disc. Autographed by M-Pire bassist Joey Rochrich and guitarist Joshua Perahia.

Joshua Perahia - Official Joshua Perahia Bootleg CD (M&K Sound) 2001

1. "Let Your Love Shine Down" (5:56)
2. "Something to Say" (6:17)
3. "First and Last" (5:02)
4. "Remembering You" (6:19)
5. "Precious Love" (5:37)
6. "I Can Feel Again" (4:31)

This is an extremely limited edition picture disk; only 100 were ever made and they were only sold on the second day of the two day Stryper Expo in May 2001. Unfortunately I had run short on funds on that day and did not have the money to purchase this cd, but lucky for me, I have generous friends. My friend Jeff bought a copy and surprised me with it. It's even autographed by the entire band. Thanks Jeff. The CD contains pre-release versions of songs from the new Joshua album "Something to Say", which didn't finally come out until several months after the Expo. The new material is NOT heavy metal, but rather bluesy rock 'n roll with some tendencies towards southern rock as well. Of course the guitar solos are smokin' and the songwriting is strong, as one would expect from such a veteran as Joshua Perahia. The picture above is not my actual CD, although it looks almost identical. This scan was actually obtained from Ebay a few days after the expo. Obviously someone was trying to make a buck on a rarity. I should also mention that the picture is not printed directly on the disc, but is actually printed on an adhesive stock. These discs came directly from the band's studio and were not mass produced. "Remembering You" is a remake of a song from "Intense Defense" album.

One other thing I though I would mention about this disc. Isn't it an oxymoron to say this is an "official bootleg"?

Joshua Perahia - Something to Say (M&K) 2001 1. "Remembering You" (4:46) 2. "Something To Say" (6:18) 3. "I Can Feel Again" (4:31) 4. "Precious Love" (5:45) 5. "The First And The Last" (5:01) 6. "Let Your Love Shine Down" (5:55) 7. "Guiding Light" (4:28) 8. "It Hasn't Been Easy" (6:06) 9. "Tears Of Joy" (5:46) 10. "One Night Is Not Enough" (3:52) 11. "Steady Weapon" (5:23) 12. "Remembering You" [Acoustic Version] (4:45)

Joshua live at Stryper Expo 2001, photo by Jeff Gross

"Something to Say" is very different from the melodic pop metal of Joshua's past. Perhaps this is the reason for the name change from just "Joshua" as a band name, to Joshua Perahia. However, I don't think this was meant as a 'solo' disc as long time bassis Joey Rochrich is still present and Joshua does have a full band. In anycase, this disc is a pleasant listen, but is a tad mellower than I would have hoped for. Having heard the pre-release disc from the Stryper Expo, I knew what to expect. Blues-based, melodic rock 'n' roll. The music less polished and a tad more on the blues side of rock, with some incredibly beautiful ballads thrown into the mix. "Remembering You" is a re-recorded, and slightly re-written track from "Intense Defense". Not only do we get one new recording, but two as an acoustic version is added on the end of the disc. Personally I prefer the original version the best, although this may be attributed more to familiariarity than anything else. Lyrically, this disc seems a bit more personal than any Joshua disc from their past. Vocalist Jerry Gabriel has a great voice that many times reminded me of Eric Martin (Mr. Big). As a matter of fact, while playing this disc at work one day, a fellow worker asked if I was listening to Mr. Big. Another comparison might be a slightly more melancholy Badlands.

Related collections:
Rob Rock | Ken Tamplin

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