Search - Cool Hand Luke :: Fires of Life

Excellent Sophomore Effort from Cool Hand Luke!!!

Louie Bourland | Garden Grove CA | 05/28/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Following up their successful debut release "Wake Up O Sleeper", Cool Hand Luke has returned with its second release on Floodgate Records, "The Fires Of Life".
The album picks up where "Sleeper" left off and retains the same moody nature of that album but offers several new musical surprises as well. Lead singer/drummer Mark Nicks expands his musical pallette by adding piano to many of the tracks. Also, the band has employed a new guitarist, Chris Susi, in place of original member Jason Hammil.
Standout tracks include the opening track "Skydive" (which owes more than just a nod to John Lennon musically), "The Foster", "Cinematic", "Rest For The Weary" and the title track. The album's main highlights are without a doubt "I'm Not Ready" and "Sequence 3". These two tracks are linked together without pause and form an 11-minute tour de force of initial warfare and subsequent victory.
The albums lyrics are entirely Scriptual-based. The Scripture references are interwoven throughout the printed lyrics in the CD booklet so if you have a Bible handy, it's easy to access and view the quoted verses in their full context.
Cool Hand Luke has furnished yet another winner with "The Fires Of Life". This album is just as good as its predecessor while offering fresh new musical ideas.
Highly recommended for fans of low-key Alternative Mood Rock."

Well-crafted Christian art

M. Jago | Atlanta, GA | 09/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album grows on me more each time I listen to it (which has been about 5 times so far since I just borrowed it from a friend). The music of Cool Hand Luke is powerful in its orchestration and made even more so by the sincerity of the lyrics. I'm so happy to have found a good Christian band that plays real music--not sap. Their sound is similar in some ways to Coldplay, but I would never make a legitimate comparison between these two bands. Cool Hand Luke crafts songs with an order and beauty lost to many of their lo-fi contemporaries. Well worth a listen...or two or three!"

A great cd .. and a great band.

Erik D. Nance | high point, north carolina | 05/30/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Though the last review summed up what I wanted to say, I will still reiterate what was already voiced by saying that this is an excellent cd that picks up where "Sleeper" left off, but offers a more musically sound environment than previous attempts by Cool Hand Luke.And though their albums are masterpieces, the band's live performance is equally as amazing. If you ever have the chance to see them perform, I cannot stress to you how much you should go. They never fail to pull you into their musical world, a true blessing in a musical scene riddled with mediocre bands intent on "putting on a show." Put simply, Cool Hand Luke doesn't merely put on a show; neither are they the show themselves. Rather, they let the audience know that the glory belongs to God and him alone. Their music isn't about impressing others, it's about inspiring.Other than that, the band members are really great guys. I've had the pleasure of meeting Mark and Brandon, and I have nothing bad to say of them.That's all I have to say. Just wanted to say what I think about this excellent band. Their music is inspiring and beautiful, and I thank God for Cool Hand Luke and their efforts as a band and as individuals."