Great Metal Albums of 1986: Joshua- Surrender

Joshua is another American band which didn’t come to my attention until I got over to the UK. Unlike Racer X, however, Joshua was better known outside the US than in it. In 1983, they scored a minor hit in Japan but they seemed to be unnoticed in North America and Europe. One theory could be down to them being described as Christian rock. Maybe so, but when I listen to their album, “Surrender,” I don’t hear any overt Jesus lyrics in the songs.

Another contrast to the band in the previous post is that I can label Joshua and that label is melodic metal. Furthermore, it’s the same type of melodic metal that was very popular in the 1980s. It could also be the reason why they weren’t more well known than they actually were. They are a good, tight solid band and it is shown on this album, “Surrender.” Lead singer, Jeff Fenholt has a steady and consistent voice which lasts throughout the entire album. He doesn’t need to do any falsetto type vocals or screams, what he does is more than sufficient. The rhythm section of Jo Galletta and Loren Robinson provide a steady beat all through the album. When time to shine, keyboardist Patrick Bradley delivers the goods. His most noted effort comes on the track, “Your Love is Gone.” That brings me to the guitar duo of Joshua Perahia and Kenneth Tamplin. Maybe it’s my ears needing syringing but some of the guitar solos remind me of Vinnie Vincent’s, but only they aren’t all over the place like Vinnie’s was on his album. Because both guitarists deliver some really cool solos, maybe Vinnie was trying to emulate Perahia and Tamplin.

Throughout “Surrender,” you get a good consistent mix of good melodic metal songs. This is definitely an album for putting on in the car when going on a long drive because the songs are consistently good, although I can’t say there is any one song which totally blows me away. The closest comes with the two tracks dead centre on the album where the rock goes harder yet without losing any of the melody. Those tracks are “Rockin’ the World” and “Back to the Rock.” The power chords give those songs just a little bit more oomph in my humble opinion. Saying that, there is a cool keyboard bit on “Back to the Rock.” But on a commercial level, if I were to choose a song from “Surrender” which had the best shot at commercial success, it would be “Hold On.” Remembering how bands like this made their success back in the 80s, this track follows that formula. It has a good melody with a hard rock edge and while I love the guitar solo on it, I have the sneaking suspicion that it would have been cut down to make the track more radio friendly. So, maybe it was a good thing it wasn’t a single.

Track Listing:

1. Surrender Love
2. Heart Full of Soul
3. Your Love is Gone
4. Hold On
5. Back to the Rock
6. Rockin’ the World
7. Stay Alive
8. Love Shock
9. Reprise

Joshua Perahia- guitar, backing vocals

Kenneth Tamplin- guitar, backing vocals

Jeff Fenholt- lead vocals

Patrick Bradley- keyboards, backing vocals

Loren Robinson- bass, backing vocals

Jo Galletta- drums

It’s a shame how so many good bands come and go without getting the recognition they deserved. This was the case with Joshua, so I hope that I am doing them some sort of justice in retrospect here today.

Next post: Agent Steel- Mad Locust Rising

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