HEAVEN FORBID

What a comeback album this was! I remember hearing Harvest Moon on the radio and thinking, "Yes, they are back!" And with a vengeance they were, giving us a terrific studio album that is on par with many of their best albums. Hammer Back stands out as the clunker of the bunch, but everything else is good, and tunes like the aforementioned Harvest Moon, Real World, Live for Me, Cold Gray Light of Dawn and Damaged are some of the best B.O.C. songs ever. Seriously.

I've never really thought of B.O.C. as a prog band, so this is a bit dicey for me to talk about in progressive rock terms, but I'll say that prog fans should be able to appreciate the dramatic style and flair that this band's music and lyrics often bring to the table. It is more kick ass hard rock than anything, but many of their best albums should be owned by hardcore music fans, and Heaven Forbid is one of those albums.