SAINT REBEL – The Battle Of Sinners And Saints

Saint Rebel is a five piece outfit from Denmark. These guys have been around for six long years working the Hard Rock scene in Denmark and have finally released their debut album The Battle Of Sinners And Saints. Their high energy music is carried by a very strong lead vocalist, incredibly tight guitar riffs, and in your face, heart pounding drum beats. They filter a lot of influence from some classic Hard Rock bands like Soundgarden, Linkin Park, and Rage Against The Machine and use their influences to create a very modern and edgy updated sound which is nothing short of invigorating to say the least.

The heart and soul of Saint Rebel is the explosive voice of Jonas Kaas. He’s one of those singers that seemingly have a natural talent to sing in a Hard Rock band. He has a certain swagger and charisma which gives each track a life of its own. Although he may not be the most technically gifted singer, it does not matter when listening to these songs. Kaas carries them so well with his distinctive style, there is no need to split hairs about vocal aptitude. He portrays a rough and high pitched, nearly screeching effort which fits well to the type of music on this album.

The other key element to Saint Rebel’s sound is the heavy riffs from guitarists Allan Blumensen and Martin Hojfeldt. Similar to the vocal style, the guitars are not presented with an incredible amount of precision and accuracy; however it is the energetic riffs which compliment the vocals very well. The riffs are so powerful that there are times throughout the album when the musical themes turn into a Thrash or Extreme Metal style. A good example of this is the track “Halo” which is arguably the heaviest track on the album. The song is centered on a fast, driving tempo and Kaas ends up screaming at the top of his lungs for most of the track.

There is certainly no lack of emotion on this album, the expressive and strong vocals are key for this band. A downfall on this album is a troubling attempt to produce a softer side with the acoustic track “The Dying Child”. The song itself is not bad, but after listening to several tracks of powerful intensity; it is perhaps too much of a jaded performance and doesn’t quite fit well. Plus, Kaas’ vocals are very nasally when singing at this level, and that makes it additionally unpleasant.

One of the highlights of the album is the track “Wasted” which features background dialogue from the viral video of a drunk David Hasselhoff mouthing off to his daughter while she is trying to help him. The song is very simple and has few lyrics, but combined with the highly emotive vocals and guitar riffs, it is certainly an extremely memorable song.

Overall, The Battle Of Sinners And Saints is a good solid effort for Saint Rebel’s debut album. There are good melodies throughout which make it a pleasant and head banging listen. These guys definitely have a good thing going, and are worth checking out.