Dogman

After taking a harder and more frequently metallic approach on its self-titled fourth album, continued in that vein on its next project, . Through it all, the Christian headbangers remained very recognizable and continued to make recordings that were impressive, even if they did fall short of the glory of (which remained their best album). Showing an awareness of the mid-'90s scene, guitarist had grown increasingly aggressive -- and yet, brute force is hardly the only thing this album has to offer. was still a band that thrived on harmonic nuances and benefited from the influence of and . And like before, the band addresses spiritual concerns without trying to force its beliefs on anyone. and other heavy yet melodic offerings speak of a search for spiritual fulfillment, but never does point the finger at non-Christians. ~ Alex Henderson