GUARDIAN - Power of Love (First Reaction)

[@Firehwk203]

Fun facts: The album was produced by Kansas’ singer, John Elefante. The guitarist, Tony Palacious, taught Oz Fox of Stryper at one point. I was once at a festival and saw these guys around this time. I got heat exhaustion and was laying sick in a tent at the edge of the arena. The drummer of this band was walking by and saw I had a Guardian t shirt on and came up to me, woke me up and asked me how I was doing and talked to me for a little while. Very cool guys.

[@Firehwk203]

Almost forgot....Oz Fox produced their first album with a different singer. @shane I finally sent you a request for Vengeance Rising over the weekend. Hope you got it. :)

[@terrymcgee7361]

Vengeance Rising did a cover of Space Trucking that was pretty cool. Interesting band for sure.

[@tonypalacios]

I am the silky shirt wearing spinner guy. Thanks for doing this bro. You had me Rollin.

[@robhale1999]

Tony I was hoping one of you guys would see this!!! He had me rolling as well!!! Hopefully Jamie will see it as well!!

[@tim-hill]

I loved Guardian back in the day. Their Live album has to be the best sounding live album I've ever heard. The mix was perfect. They do cover a U2 song on there which was done very well.

[@edzee1188]

Wow! Taking me back. When the wife & I met, she knew from the start I was a metalhead, so she introduced me to a little Christian Metal Band called Guardian. Brought back great memories of us singing this together on road trips. May need to rekindle some "POWER OF LOVE" Great Review!!!

[@peternetworker9118]

Una de mis bandas favoritas... Mr Tony palacios es increible en su fraseo en la Guitarra, infravalorado quiza!

[@fullvelocityx]

One of their best songs.

[@Mark_E_M]

My all-time favorite group! My favorite Guardian song is Never Say Goodbye!

[@juliomatos6342]

Amazing band

[@daredevildaryl2645]

Guardian became wildly popular among the better known Christian bands after taking on this commercial pop rock sound with vocalist Jamie Rowe. I miss their true metal days when they were called Gardian. Before that they were called Fusion. I've always liked guitarist Tony Palacios and bassist David Bach. The Elefante brothers at Pakaderm Records sure could polish a rock into a fine sheen.

[@wheelzwheela]

Probably Guardian’s best album. They were a legit band back in the day.

[@1dognight166]

This was '92 . Video got regular rotation on MTV.

[@Mark_E_M]

Now that the band is no longer together, the lead singer, Jamie Rowe has started his own record label called Kalamity Kills, and it is amazing!

[@amysson5151]

Yes...a quality band and musicianship. Up there with Stryper and Holy Soldier.

[@wheelzwheela]

Battle Cries by The Brave is an album worth checking out.

[@robertbishop5357]

You should check out White Heart and Giant. Dann Huff was inboth with his brother whose a drummer. Dan's an incredible guitarist.

[@LawDogg01]

Saw them in concert in Beardstown IL.

[@LawDogg01]

Here again

[@jamesnorthup7717]

Met Jamie the singer before he was in guardian and later when he was! Very nice cool guy!!

[@dpwellman]

So apparently I had to resubscribe. This is a product of the Elefante (John and Dino) brothers (Pakaderm Studios) really upping the production values game in the 1980s to early 90s. Guardian was already well known, but this album and the next one really put them on the map and cemented them as one of the premier bands in all of Christian rock. Right up there with Stryper and Bride. Speaking of which, Guardian's re-recording of Stryper's "Yellow and Black Attack" is on point. Highlight of my young adulthood hanging out with Dave and Jamie in the Stryper appreciation forum on AOL (the early years of internet, you know). If you liked this sound, check out others from the catalog Fear Not, The Brave (Battle Cries album), Petra (Beyond Belief, Unseen Power albums), X-Sinner, Lovewar, and John and Dino's studio "band" Mastedon. And, to a lesser extent, Halo.

[@terrymcgee7361]

Loved that album! Jamie Rowe brought that band to a new level. Guardian was one of the big 3 bands that Enigma records tried to market. STRYPER and Barron Cross were the other 2. Only one of them really made a splash of course.

[@02sbone]

They went more grungey with their CD BUZZ...Check out their song THIS OLD MAN

[@danblanchette9403]

The singer Jamie Rowe previously sang for the band Tempest

[@MissAlthea]

This was like a Christian version of Trixter for me...and I was diggin' it! I was born in the heart of the Bible belt in small town Illinois and I love me some Trixter....(I am sorry about your ex-girlfriend's mad crush, Diablo Dearest)...but wait, there's more....Trixter also happens to have a song titled Power of Love (on their second album, Hear!), so HEY! To quote a classic game show: "Joker...joker....joker....it's a triple!!" I definitely would have patronized these guys in some way had I heard or seen this some odd years ago (*gulp*)....

[@jamestate5059]

I always thought the song You And I sounded like a Trixter song

[@jamestate5059]

Met them twice. Really cool guys to talk to. This album and the next, Miracle Mile, were their best. Then their 4th album went very acoustic based. The 5th and 6th album were full on alt-rock. My fav Christian Rock band and I love Jamie Rowe's voice. First album was way more Stryper like with a different singer. Jamie also was the singer in the band Adriangale

[@mikenastasi8927]

Have you heard Jamie Rowe in the band London Calling or the 2 albums he recorded with Tempest before joining Guardian? Miracle Mile is probably my favorite. I really liked Buzz and Bottle Rocket though.

[@jamestate5059]

@@mikenastasi8927 I have the London Calling CD (very 40ft Ringo style). Also know he hates the Tempest stuff. I heard it but outside of a couple songs didn't get I to it. Also have his country inspired last solo album which I really liked except maybe a couple of mushy tunes I thought were just ok

[@mikenastasi8927]

@@jamestate5059 The only solo album of his that I have is Peppermint Daisy.

[@jamestate5059]

@@mikenastasi8927 that I do not have

[@jameshowell6361]

London Calling was a cool band. I have the American release and the remixed (with a few different tracks) version for Sweden. Jamie said the LC days were a really fun time for him.

[@gordonteats298]

I have All their CDs

[@weezlwizl5677]

Bro, you’re hilarious. Good stuff! Just subbed.

[@jdude7650]

Guardian the Rain is their best song. It has the coolest of the cool bluesy intro that transforms into a banger of bangers. Just an awesome song the rain! Still holds up after all these years. No disrespect to the guy who suggested power of love but come on man? I mean come on, the Rain is the song!!!

[@victoralva6175]

Excelent !

[@Challagar]

you should do Guardian - The Rain

[@marzjagoth]

Here is Guardian almost 30 years later performing this song: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYW0dIyIgJmioNE

[@4themusicman]

I was a fan of Guardian back in the day. Saw them once after Miracle Mile was released. They were incredible in concert. Tony Palacios is amazing on guitar. A lot of people like this song but it's not one of my favorites. Kinda boring for me but it's safe and was played on Christian rock radio periodically. Their first album, First Watch, always takes me back to what life was like in SoCal in the 80's. Definitely has a VH/Sunset Strip vibe. Album #2 which was Fire and Love, is more bluesy/hard rock. Third album, Miracle Mile, is mostly a combination of the first 2 albums and is more refined. I think the writing is much better on MM. After that, they released a mostly acoustic album titled Swing Swang Swung which I find to be meh. Then came an album titled Buzz which had about 4 tracks I really dug. You can tell they were influenced by grunge by this point. They still tried to keep a hard rock edge. I basically jumped ship at this point but they did release another album called Bottle Rocket. There was nothing on this album that captured me. Some cite it as their favorite so to each his own. I listen to Guardian from time to time but it's almost always something from those first 3 albums.

[@slamdancer1720]

their first album was definitely diffeent. I am glad they lost the space armor of their earlier days.

[@4themusicman]

@@slamdancer1720 I agree. That early getup was weird for me.

[@MichaelBuchanan-69]

Guardian is a good band in the first few albums. After the album Miracle Mile they lost it for me. Really changed their sound after the first album and changing to a different singer. Kind of would have liked to see what direction they would have gone with the original band. They were heading more into the secular world much like Stryper did, instead of sticking with a Christian label. They are huge is South America though.

[@4themusicman]

Agreed. Their first 3 offerings were the best of the bunch. Every time I listen to First Watch, it takes me back to the 80's in SoCal. Such a Sunset Strip vibe.

[@dpwellman]

Different singer? Always been Jamie since after First Watch

[@MichaelBuchanan-69]

@@dpwellman Dude you answered your question within that statement. First Watch lead singer was Paul Cawley. And David Bach is the only original member left from when they first began in '82.

[@dpwellman]

@@MichaelBuchanan-69 Ah. I see that now. Got me with a non sequitur you did. Thanks for clarifying.

[@Thecouchpatatoshow]

More thoughts on em the singer looks like axl rose 🌹

[@ShaneDiablo]

oh yeah!

[@Thecouchpatatoshow]

@@ShaneDiablo the bandanna look lol 😂 they sound like em

[@Thecouchpatatoshow]

@@ShaneDiablo check out stryper new album drop can u pick out one song from the album for me bro 😎 unforgivable track I want u to hear u go over please 🙏

[@rognroll2786]

I know nothing of these guys… Request: Wicked Alliance-The Rust.

[@slamdancer1720]

you do now.

[@MikesTek]

check out their album Miracle mile, specifically Dr. Jones and Kings of Rhythm and Shoeshine Johnny. An even better album than this one.

[@amandalockhart7448]

I agree with Ned it was pretty bland nothing stood out as good to me, Just my opinion. Bobby L Lockhart

[@brewstergallery]

Hola Shane, Ned again. Not into the Guardian. They can play but it's pretty bland, nondescript by the book, I mean the "good" book obviously, but I digress. Aint it weird how they went for a Xian Axl Rose for the front man. The disappearing / reappearing bandana is kind of funny bit of continuity error or maybe the Lawd worked in a somewhat mysterious way during the video.

[@slamdancer1720]

They do have far less bland tunes.