Description

Rare original 2006 Aurora Borealis pressing with the Charles Manson as Jesus artwork. Red vinyl. Limited 500 copies

Palm Sunday is a somewhat legendary document of what was probably Integrity’s hardest and strongest line-up at its creative peak in 1992, between the Those Who Fear Tomorrow and Systems Overload albums, and featuring a couple of non-album tracks. That particular era brought some of the best songs this band has ever written, and the vibrant energy the band conveys is incredibly apparent on this live recording made at Peabodys in Cleveland. Ok, well, the severe drawbacks of such a legendary performance still must be addressed. As a big Integrity fan, but not an Integrity superfan or devotee, a few things have always kept me from fully enjoying this record. One is the quality as it feels like tinny, distorted music. Second gripe here is Dwid’s voice. For such a famous performance, it’s surprising how little Dwid actually sounds like Dwid here. Instead of his trademark guttural bellow, his screams are a little shrill, nasal, and lack the forceful, confident gut punch he’s famous for. And it lasts through much of the set. Sure there are moments where he is mostly identifiable, but they often far between. It would almost sound like an Integrity cover band if it weren’t for Melnick’s distinctive guitar tone. Again, as someone who doesn’t live and die by Integrity, this bothers me, though I’m sure many more devoted fans simply accept it as a genius record no matter what. At the very least it should be in your collection as proof of Integrity when their raw power was at its prime.

Track list:
1. Those Who Fear Tomorrow
2. Judgement Day
3. Harder They Fall
4. Wings Tear
5. Dawn Of A New Apocalypse
6. In Contrast Of Sin
7. Rebirth
8. Die Hard
9. Lundgren/Crucifixion
10. Live It Down