Watch out! Zombies are on the loose, criss-crossing the countryside as the night of the living dead draws nigh! Sound like a scene from an Ed Wood monster movie? Actually, it's just one of many potent images from Some Kind of Zombie, the latest and most ambitious album yet from ForeFront band Audio Adrenaline. But don't take that image from the title track too literally. Inspired by lead singer Mark Stuart's experiences living with his missionary parents in Haiti (the birthplace of voodoo), the song turns the creepy zombie image all the way around. "It's about being dead to your old self," says Mark, "and becoming a new person in Christ." While Some Kind Of Zombie pushes all kinds of boundaries, musically and lyrically, fans of Audio Adrenaline have by now come to expect a measure of daring from the band. "This time," notes bassist Will McGinniss, "our only guideline was to do what was in our hearts." If that meant samples, loops, strings, horns, and synths, then so be it... but coming on the heels of bloOm, their hugely successful, Grammy nominated album from last year, the members of Audio A felt they were ready for anything. "This album is more in depth than the last one," says guitarist/keyboardist Bob Herdman, referring to bloOm's bare knuckles rock. "We had no limits musically or lyrically."
With the departure earlier this year of long-time Audio A guitarist Barry Blair (who left to pursue a career in production), and the addition of guitarist Tyler Burkum, change was unavoidable. Produced by John Hampton (Gin Blossoms, Audio A's bloOm), Some Kind of Zombie proves the new line-up has a taste for ballads, strong melodies, and acoustic flourishes, as well as their customary intense rock. But most of all, Audio Adrenaline has a taste for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, with the curious as well as the convinced. "The underlying theme of this album is change," notes Mark. "It's about having a new body and a new life, about being resurrected every day until we're made perfect."
Appropriately, Some Kind of Zombie kicks off with a long look back. The simmering rocker "Chevette" is based on an actual recollection of Mark's. "I remember twenty years ago when my dad pulled up in the driveway with the new car," he says. "My whole family was proud and excited. Of course, I didn't realize at the time that a Chevette wasn't such a great car, but money alone doesn't determine whether your family is rich or not."
Songs like "New Body," which speaks of being made whole, and the album's title track exemplify Audio A's rock credentials, while others, such as the impressionistic acoustic-flavored ballad "Lighthouse" and "Flicker," display the band's expanding musical breadth.
The slow burning and highly melodic "Original Species" is one of the album's highlights, turning the Darwinian view of nature on its head by claiming love the most highly evolved concept on the planet. "Each person is an original," notes Mark. "We all have unique fingerprints; we're all deeply loved by the Creator." Audio Adrenaline ventures into uncharted waters with "Blitz" which features the Supertones superhorns in this rollicking snapshot of life on the road with a traveling youth ministry. "People Like Me" offers a touch of early 80's alternative in its plea for unity among the body of Christ. "God-Shaped Hole," which probes the emptiness many feel before turning to the true Source of healing, is one of the album's most expansive tracks, building from acoustic whisper to outsized anthem. The band closes with "Superfriend," a buoyant track about God reaching out to all of those strong silent types out there trying to go it alone.
From the beginning, Audio Adrenaline has impressed audiences, both Christian and mainstream, with their unyielding musical ferocity. Even Rolling Stone took notice with a major story on Christian rock last year and the rising crossover influence of the music, giving extensive coverage to Audio A. Of course, with sales of bloOm approaching gold status, it's not surprising the band has drawn attention from all quarters, but Audio A's explanation for their rapidly burgeoning success is the most sensible. Says Will, "We try to have a real quality to our music, as well as a focus on ministry."
The band's story begins at Kentucky Christian College, where then-students Will and Mark, who were in a local band together, first met Bob. The latter had written a song called "My God" that he thought the band might want to perform. A demo tape of the song led to a record deal with ForeFront, and in 1992 Audio Adrenaline launched nationwide with the release of their self-titled debut album. That album was followed by the highly acclaimed Don't Censor Me which catapulted to sales of more that 300,000. In its wake, Audio A garnered numerous Dove nominations, a Billboard music award nomination, and latched on to top national tours.
In 1994, the band released their Dove award winning video Big House, followed by their Live Bootleg album the following year. In 1996, Audio A released the bloOm LP to great acclaim. The album's lean and spare rock 'n' roll earned the band raves, with Campus Life claiming, "If you can sit still while listening to bloOm, check your pulse... The music is incredible." bloOm went on to produce seven Top 5 singles, four of them reaching #1. The band also received media coverage in Details and Spin magazines during this time, and got video play on M2 and the Hard Rock Café's worldwide video loop. Audio Adrenaline also played live to more than 1.5 million people in promotion of bloOm, headlining slots at the Cornerstone, Creation, and Jesus Northwest music festivals and hooking up on major tours with dc Talk and Steven Curtis Chapman.
For Audio A, the exponential success meant an expanded audience to receive the band's ministry. "The longer we do this, the more we see how important it is," says Bob. "Kids come up to us and say, 'Your music affected my life. My friend became a Christian because of your music.' This is pretty serious stuff." Adds Will, "We put on a real rock 'n' roll show, but when we start talking, you know it goes beyond the music. Jesus Christ is our hero, and we try to get kids' eyes off of us and on to Him."
In addition to the new album, Audio Adrenaline is set to publish their first book, Some Kind of Journey: On The Road With Audio Adrenaline - 7 Days, 7 Issues, 7 Souls (Standard Publishing). It's based on the band's week-long road trip with seven diverse young adults, during which they discussed issues that are prevalent today among teens. "The kids came from totally different walks in their Christian life," says Bob. "We talked honestly about tough issues. It got very intense."
In the meantime, Audio Adrenaline looks forward to a year of touring in support of Some Kind of Zombie (they begin their first headlining tour, a 65-city stint with special guests the Supertones, in January '98) and reaching out to people across the country and around the world. For these remarkable musicians, nothing is more fun... or more worthwhile. Says Mark of the band's ultimate wish for their audience, "We want people to be encouraged. If you can't walk today, someday, if you're part of God's family, you're gonna be able to fly."
Discography
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